Pasco’s new 4-legged officer is hitting the streets to sniff out crime

Pasco has a new four-legged addition to the police department.

K9 Hapo II, a 2-year-old German Shepherd, started patrolling the city with his handler Jason Griffin in November, filling out the five-dog crime-fighting corps.

He is replacing the original Hapo, who died unexpectedly of natural causes in March 2020 after seven years with the department.

The first Hapo was named in gratitude for a $12,000 donation from HAPO Community Credit Union.

And, again, the credit union came through to help with the cost of the department’s newest dog, Hapo II. Crystal Contreras, the credit union’s communications director, handed police officials a $25,000 check on Friday.

The credit union’s leaders, which include Kennewick police Chief Ken Hohenberg, are constantly looking for ways to improve the community, Contreras said. This fits the institution’s mission.

“Growing up, my father was in law enforcement,” she said. “He served almost 30 years here in Tri-Cities, so I know how important it is to ensure that our officers have what they need to serve the community.”

Pasco Police Chief Ken Roske praised the partnership.

“Police officers are part of the community. They come from the community. The desire of the police department is to represent the community,” he said.

Hapo will be used to search for drugs and to apprehend criminals, Roske said.

Griffin, a 14-year veteran, has spent two years as a K9 officer and trained with Hapo II for two months in California.

Roske said police dogs can be deployed in many situations to reduce the risks to officers and the public.

In the past eight years, Pasco’s dogs helped seize 560 packages of illegal drugs and helped with the arrests of 120 people.

“The dog is out in front, using his keen sense of smell and hearing, whether we’re looking for drugs or suspects and that ensures that the officers then don’t have to be put in that dangerous position,” Roske said.

And Pasco police dogs are used throughout the Tri-Cities to help other agencies when needed.

Two other new dogs, Elan and Brit, were added last year.

One of Pasco’s best known dogs, K9 Lemon, died in November 2019 just weeks after retiring.

He had been a K9 officer for about eight years and suffered a medical condition called a stomach flip that twisted his intestines.

This story was originally published February 26, 2021 at 4:17 PM.