The DNR Division of Law Enforcement Division is honored to announce the retirement of K-9 Officer Derby after seven years of dedicated service. K-9 Derby, who partnered with Indiana Conservation Officer Tim Kaiser, was assigned to Spencer County.
Derby, who was a 2015 rescue from Posey County Pound Puppies, was deployed 462 times during his career. These deployments included searching for people who were lost, injured or evading police; evidence recovery; article searches; public appearances; and detection of illegally taken wildlife or ginseng. A total of 245 arrests and warnings were credited to Derby.
The Indiana Conservation Officer K-9 Resource Protection Program started in 1997 with a pilot program of two teams. There are currently 11 K-9 teams in Indiana and at least one in each of the 10 law enforcement districts.
Indiana’s K-9 program is recognized as one of the best in the nation. It has helped start and train K-9 teams from Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Utah, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington, as well as the African country of Zambia.
Kaiser is now training with a new K-9 partner, Ember, who was donated to the DNR Law Enforcement by Jay and Cherie Hoffman. Ember is expected to officially join the ranks on May 25, after completing the nine weeks of training.