The Midland Police Department in Michigan announced on September 12 2020 that their newest K9 member is named Leo.
The two-year-old German shepherd was given his name through a community naming contest called “Name the K9.”
According to MLive, Midland Police Chief Nicole Ford had this to say about the name selection: “We chose the name LEO for our new K9 not only because it’s an acronym for Law Enforcement Officer, but also because it fits his strong presence and confident, personable demeanor perfectly.”
During the “Name the K9” contest, multiple entries for the name “Leo” were submitted. The department is considering the first “Leo” entry received to be the winner. This individual will soon be invited to a meet-and-greet session with the MPD’s newest member.
Leo was purchased for the MPD with a donation from the Katherine A. Moore Revocable Trust totaling over $77,000. He was selected by the MPD and Mid-Michigan Police K9 and has already completed several months of preparations and training courses before he officially begins the job.
He will be trained to assist officers with article tracking and search and recovery efforts, as well as interacting with the public and remaining engaged in community policing.
Leo is scheduled to start training with his MPD handler on September 28, 2020.
Photo Credit: Midland PD’s Facebook page.
