The pointed, triangular ears of a Czechoslovakian German shepherd can be seen through the rear window of a police SUV. The canine hasn’t been arrested, rather, the four-legged police officer is on patrol with his fellow two-legged officer. Mavrick has been on the job for about a month with his handler, Officer Josh Powers with the Redmond Police Department. Although, the pair have been together since late August completing necessary training.

The about 18 month old, complete black fur-coated working dog comes from CJ’s Police K-9 Kennel in Dorris, California. Powers was responsible for raising the money to purchase him. Powers received many donations from the community including $3,000 from Highland Baptist Church and $1,000 from Dutch Bros. Coffee, and was able to raise the nearly $10,000 needed to purchase Mavrick. Friends of Redmond K-9, a local nonprofit headed by prior K-9 handler Sgt. Hank Majetich, also worked with Powers to raise money. Powers and Mavrick spent their first two weeks together bonding.

Before being certified by the Oregon Police Canine Association, required yearly, Powers and Mavrick attended a training school at the same kennel Mavrick was purchased. There, the duo built a relationship and trained in required skills of police K-9 units. The five-week course prepared the team for the rigorous OPCA certification test, which requires complete obedience from the K-9, while the handler goes through various commands including searches, bitework and calling off a bite.

“He can be utilized for so many different things, and as we gain experience, his ability to find someone or something will increase,” Powers said. “He is here to protect other officers and the community.”

Mavrick is trained as a patrol dog, and has a vast skill set. This includes tracking for articles or persons of interest, area/building searches, and bitework. Powers works with Mavrick everyday, which is easy since Mavrick lives with Powers and his family in their home.

“The first time I left him home, it was like a left a child at home,” Powers said.

Powers also has retired police dog Arco, who previously worked with Redmond Police. Powers said that when at home, Mavrick is just a normal dog that wants to play. But as soon as Mavrick’s harness, equivalent to his badge, is donned, playtime is no more.

“These dogs are bred to work,” Powers said. “He doesn’t do it because I make him, he does it because he wants to work.”

Since the K-9 unit has been on patrol, about a month, Mavrick has been deployed more than 15 times with one successful capture and two successful article finds. The decision of whether or not to send Mavrick out rests on Powers’ shoulders. He said he treats Mavrick just as any other officer on the force, and wouldn’t recklessly send Mavrick into dangerous situations. He described their relationship as one of protection, Mavrick’s job is to protect Powers and other officers while on patrol. He also said that Mavrick has the ability to augment any searches since his sense of smell is highly sensitive. They work together as a unit, one not as effective without the other, and naturally a close relationship is being built.

“It’s all about trust, he trusts me and I trust him,” Powers said. “That’s a very important part of it.”

A daily ritual of sorts is for Powers and Mavrick to go to an open area and play ball before they go on duty. The exercise prepares Mavrick for work physically. Powers said it clears his mind before shift.

“This is something I’ve dedicated my career to, and to have this opportunity is amazing,” Powers said.

Powers has been with Redmond Police since 2004, and always had a career goal of being a part of a K-9 unit. He grew up with family dogs, and his first family dog with his wife was a retired police German shepherd named Dano. Powers has a passion for patrol in general and said combining that with being a part of a K-9 unit gives him drive everyday.

“I love patrol, I always have,” Powers said. “And being a handler always keeps me on the road, and always having that partner there as a K-9 unit, is amazing.”

As unique as it is to work alongside a canine, the experience is the norm for Redmond Police. Just as much as any two-legged officer with the Redmond Police Department has an important role, so to, do the four-legged officers. Not only does the presence of K-9 units affect the strategies of a police force, it also increases a department’s effectiveness, according to Lt. Jesse Petersen.

“It helps reduce the crime rate in the city because it allows us to solve crimes we wouldn’t be able to without the K-9 units,” Petersen said.

With this in mind, it makes sense that nearly every law enforcement department in Central Oregon has a K-9 unit. This small community of handler, K-9 pairs work together whenever necessary and also meet every week for training.

Petersen is Mavrick and Powers’ watch commander. He said that being able to utilize a K-9 unit makes his job easier. Petersen has worked with and supervised multiple K-9 units and credits them for increased effectiveness of the department. He said a few years ago, there was a vehicle pursuit in the south end of town, in which the driver stopped the car and ran. The K-9 unit at that time tracked the driver for about half a mile, and the driver gave up when the K-9 was sent in for a bite. The K-9 was called off and the driver was arrested without injury.

“Having a K-9 unit helps me through my thought process because we have that tool on hand and don’t have to go through another department to use it,” Petersen said. “It’s a pretty phenomenal skill that the handler and dog have, and they bring a lot to the team.”

More recently, Mavrick and Powers were sent to the scene of a robbery about a day after it was reported. They conducted an area search and found the items in question of being stolen, which were hidden on the scene. Petersen said that he can rely on K-9 units as an effective tool to help Redmond police solve crimes.

While Mavrick is a working dog, and is put in the line of danger every time he dons his harness, just like his fellow officers when they put on the uniform, he is still a dog. With that comes the simple companionship of ‘man’s best friend,’ and a different kind of working atmosphere for officers who interact with Mavrick regularly.

“It’s a bond,” Powers said. “I worry about him like a I worry about my kids, and to see him be successful is very rewarding. He is a member of our department and I watch out for him just like any other officer.”

— Reporter, 541-548-2185, cbrown@redmondspokesman.com