Colonial Regional Police Department
K-9 Unit
One of the benefits enjoyed by communities served by a regional police department is specialized services. A Police K-9 Unit is a good example of such specialization. Using a trained canine in evidence searches, building searches, area searches as well as the ability to track criminals enhance patrol capabilities.
Colonial Regional Police Department K-9 Unit currently consists of Sergeant Darrin Wendling and K-9 Rex, a 6-year old Belgian Malinois. The team is certified through the Eastern Police Canine Association. They are certified in criminal apprehension, building and area searches, tracking and narcotic detection. This year the team completed approximately 200 hours of in-service training. The in-service or maintenance training is conducted on a monthly basis.
The Colonial Regional Police Department along with the Northampton County Drug Task Force hosted a K-9 Narcotics Detection Seminar, which was held at the Nazareth Speedway. K-9 teams throughout the Lehigh Valley and New Jersey attended this event.
The K-9 team was utilized in 2006:
Bath Borough – Five (5) calls / Two (2) arrest assists
Hanover Township – Eight (8) calls / One (1) arrest assist
Lower Nazareth Twp. – Twelve (12) calls / Two (2) arrest assist
"Other" – Eleven (11) calls / One (1) arrest assist
Conducted numerous demonstrations for various organizations.
Assisted two (2) school districts with sweeps of high schools and middle schools.
Assisted the DEA (along with several other Dept members) with a large scale drug bust.
