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New K-9 unit will help Windsor police sniff out crime

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Xaros and Zuma with their handlers Officer Clara Steingart and Officer Marshal Allen at the Vohne Liche Kennels in Indiana. Windsor Police spent a week there looking for the right pups for their new K9 Unit.
Michael Cygan

Windsor's police department is welcoming a few new recruits to the force.

"Everybody loves to pet them and play with them, they bring in their Kongs and people love to throw them down the hall for them," said Windsor PD Sergeant Michael Cygan.

He's talking about Xaros and Zuma — two dogs in the department's new K-9 unit. Cygan said after some extensive training, they'll join officers on the job.

Officer Clara Steingart with Zuma at Grandview Elementary School. Windsor's K9 recruits visited a 4th grade class that gathered the most toy donations for a local holiday charity.
Michael Cygan

"The main push actually came from our line-level officers — they were responding to lots of narcotics-related crimes, overdoses, fentanyl exposures," he said.

The dogs will start several months of K9 academy training in January. Cygan said once they’re done, they’ll enter the force like anyone else.

"I need to put in an order for their badges, but we will actually have a swearing in ceremony for them," he said.

Cygan added just having the dogs around has made for a positive presence.

Xaros is a Belgian Malinois and Zuma is a German Shepherd. Both dogs come from Poland.

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As the Newscast Editor and Producer, I provide listeners with news and information critical to our region.