- Storm is Havana Police Department’s first K9 and the only one in Gadsden County
- The one-year-old tracking dog will assist with narcotics investigations and missing person cases
- Watch the video to hear from her handler.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Havana Police department became the only department to have a K9 unit in Gadsden County. I'm meeting this new officer and finding out how she will enhance neighborhood safety.
Meet Storm—the newest member of the Havana Police Department
“We are super excited to get out in the community and do some good things and make a difference in our town.”
Storm is handled by Officer Michael Ritter.
Her mission? Tracking missing persons and detecting narcotics—two critical roles in a growing community. And Officer Ritter will be right by her side.
“There’s been so many stops that I’ve had that I knew there was something going on that I couldn’t see myself or defiantly not smell like she can so she’s defiantly going to help.”
Havana Police says a K9 unit is something the department has needed for a while—to better serve and protect the neighborhood.
“As bad as it is, there’s drugs everywhere and they affect a lot of people. In a lot of negative ways, effect a lot of families. If we have one tool to help get rid of those drugs and get the drugs off the streets, then that’s a very valuable tool.”
Chief Kenny Lewis says with people constantly passing through Havana, Storm adds a much-needed layer of protection.
“You don’t necessarily only focus on drugs, it could lead to a lot of things to help make the streets safer.”
HPD brought K9 Storm home Thursday evening and says she's already fitting in well.
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