Fairfield's newest police officer is man's best friend
Posted: 01.10.2013 at 4:44 PM
Officer Uno will be joining the Fairfield Police Department in March.  / Fairfield Police Department
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FAIRFIELD, IOWA -- The Fairfield Police Department will be adding a new member to their ranks starting in March, however this officer has four legs.

Officer Uno will be working with Fairfield Police Officer David Wall after the two complete a five week training course in Michigan.

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The 14-month-old German Shepherd, who is originally from Poland, will be replacing Fairfield’s current K-9 officer, Officer Bonjour. Bonjour currently works with Lt. Collin Smith, however when Uno joins the force, Bonjour will officially retire.

“He is a lot of fun. The dogs are a great tool. They can get you into a lot of places that normally a patrol officer cannot get into,” said Lt. Smith.

Smith has worked with Bonjour since he joined the department. He is considered a dual purpose dog, which comes in handy when responding to different calls while on patrol.

“All of the police department’s dogs so far have been dual purpose dogs; which means that they are trained in narcotics and handler protection. They are also able to track during open building searches and article searches. They do a lot of things to keep our officers out of harms way,” Smith said.

Fairfield does participate in mutual-aid calls; therefore, once Officer Uno officially joins the force, he could also be serving the surrounding communities on calls if needed.