Officers of the Tomball Police Department (TPD) have a brand new partner, thanks to a decision by command staff to re-start the K-9 program.

Hektor, a two-year-old German shepherd, has joined the force and was assigned to his new handler, Officer Juan Barrera, in January. Hektor has been trained in narcotic detection, but plans are to eventually allow him to serve as a tracker as well.

“Having a narcotic canine is a huge asset for the city,” Tomball Police Chief Robert Hauck said. “While we are blessed as a community to enjoy a relatively low-level of illicit drug use and sales when compared to other areas, we are also pragmatic enough to recognize that if we did not actively pursue users, dealers and transporters things would be very different.”

The department spent weeks looking into several dog handlers and trainers, searching for the best available dog and training. They ultimately decided on USK9 Unlimited in Kaplan, La.

“We visited various schools all over the place to find two things - the best quality dog and the best available training,” said Cpt. Rick Grassi, TPD patrol commander. “We picked (USK9) because we really liked the dogs they have and respected the owner right off the bat. It was a good fit.”

USK9 has been licensed by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and has been recognized by several law enforcement agencies as one of the best facilities in the nation.

Barrera headed to USK9 in January to receive specialized training in narcotic dog handling, as well as meet his new partner for the first time. They spent four weeks together becoming acclimated with one other and learning the tools of the trade.

This isn’t the first time that TPD has had a four-legged officer. The department’s previous K-9, Natan, passed away a little over a year ago, leaving both an emotional and tactical void in the department.

“When Natan passed away, we knew we would eventually get another dog,” Grassi said.

The advantages of a narcotic dog are huge, Hauck added and a valuable resource for the entire community.

“A dog’s sense of smell can be 1,000 times more powerful than that of a human being and this allows them to detect narcotics that a police officer could never smell and likely never locate,” Hauck said. “We have committed the resources to train and deploy Officer Barrera and Hektor, who together will not only work as a proactive drug interdiction and detection force of their own, but they will also be available 24-7 to provide support for the entire department, as well as our partner agencies.”

Grassi agreed.

“The most common area for law enforcement dog use is narcotic related,” he said. “It’s a great resource for a law enforcement agency to have.”

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