Officer Ryley Davies and his K-9 Dax. (Patrick Campbell/University of Colorado)
The University of Colorado Boulder’s Police Department has welcomed the addition of new four-legged staff on campus: labrador retrievers Dax and Harlo.
For the first time in the history of CUPD, the dogs have joined Officers Bianca Sipres and Ryley Davies in serving as the department’s first ever K-9 explosive detection team. The team will respond to any explosives-related threats on campus, but can be expected to be seen frequently patrolling CU Boulder events as well.
“It’s just a precaution for safety. I think we have a lot of events, and the dogs are always sniffing, so we just want to make sure that the area is safe,” Sipres said.
Prior to the formation of the K-9 unit, dogs responding to potential threats would come from different agencies in the state. The City of Boulder would lend K-9 units, as well as the Front Range Explosives Detection K-9 Group, who serve agencies based in the front range of Colorado and Wyoming.
Both Sipres and Davies went through a six-week training period after an extensive interview process. Only two officers were chosen out of six considered for selection.
When selecting the canine counterparts for the officers, there are certain aspects of a dog’s personality that factor into their ability to work.
“They look for certain things, like their drive for praise,” Sipres said. “With our dogs, we want to make sure they’re not too socialized, just because we want them focused on that odor.”
Officer Bianca Sipres with her K-9 Harlo. (Ainsley Coogan/CU Independent)
The department also tested the dogs situationally to help gauge how they might react on the job.
Harlo, who is Officer Sipres’ dog, was tested at Home Depot, where trainers dropped buckets on the ground to ensure he wouldn’t be afraid of loud noises. They also tested the dogs’ ability to work on high ground and platforms.
On Sept. 12, a false bomb threat was reported at Norlin Library, consequently evacuating the library, Ramaley Biology and the Ketchum Arts and Sciences building. Post-evacuation, the K-9 team swept the library.
It was the handlers’ first time working with the dogs in response to a threat. Sipres explained that the officers work in tandem with the dogs, watching both the dogs’ reactions and for signs of threats in the area. Usually, the dogs search for around 30 minutes.
“We actually got to see how long they’re able to search, because they had such a huge library,” she said. “We just wanted to make sure that they could do it, and afterwards, we’re just, kind of like a proud mom. They did such a great job, and so it was exciting.”
Grace Hutchens, a senior at CU Boulder, was evacuated from the library during the bomb threat. She felt the addition of the K-9 team to be beneficial for the university.
“We’re getting so many threats of shooters and these active threats on campus. I’ve been here for four years, this is my last year, and within the past two years, it’s been pretty insane,” Hutchens said. “I think that if this is going to help us identify the threats faster, it’s a good thing.”
The handlers will be patrolling campus regularly, where students are encouraged to approach and greet the team when they are not actively responding.
Both dogs stay with their respective handlers. Sipres described Dax as a bit more chill, and Harlo as energetic. Outside of patrolling, he loves to play fetch and run.
Contact CU Independent Senior News Editor Ainsley Coogan at ainsley.coogan@colorado.edu.
