ALTON, Ill. – An 11-month-old Belgian Malinois has won over the Alton Police Department, and in a very big way.
“I can’t even describe the feeling. I’m anxious and ready to go. Just like he is clearly,” Alton Police Officer Dalton Archer said.
Archer’s new counterpart, Rico, was selected this week to be the department’s next K-9 officer.
A team from the Alton Police Department drove to a kennel in Sharpsville, Pennsylvania, where they tested more than a dozen dogs. In the end, they landed on the big ball of energy, believed to have the necessary traits to undergo a rigorous 10-week training before hitting the streets of Alton with his partner, Officer Archer.
The $9,300 cost for Rico was covered by private donations—which also entirely fund Alton’s K-9 program, thanks to organizations like Mustache4MarchPD.
Rico will do more than just nab the bad guys.
He represents the first of many steps forward as the Alton Police Department and the community grieve the loss of K-9 Odin, who was shot and killed in the line of duty last summer.
FOX 2’s Jasmine Huda got a behind-the-scenes look at how Rico was selected and heard more on the significance of his addition to the department.