Payson Police Department began its K-9 unit in 2003. Unfortunately, it was unable to continue the program when their first and only K-9 officer retired in 2011. Due to lack of funding, the department was unable to purchase another dog, leaving them without a K-9 unit. In 2015, the department approached NPDF, and with the assistance of NPDF funding, the process began for a new K-9 to be added to the Payson City family. Today Zeke, a 2.5 year old Belgian Malinois, now serves his community as a single purpose narcotics detection K-9 officer.
As a narcotics detection K-9, Zeke is responsible for helping officers locate illegal narcotics. According to his handler, Officer Mike Doyl, Zeke on a daily basis is involved in sniffing vehicles at traffic stops for the Payson Police Department, and for other departments in the surrounding area.
“Zeke is great at what he does,” Doyl says, and his record certainly proves it. Just recently, Zeke helped the DEA make two separate vehicle sniffs that yielded illegal narcotics and $210,000 in cash. He also aided in a DUI traffic stop that led to the discovery of 11.3 ounces of methamphetamine along with $726 in cash.
Officer Doyl is grateful to the help that the NPDF gave in the acquiring of Zeke, which was the catalyst that restarted their dormant K-9 unit. “The money obtained from the NPDF was vital in allowing our agency to start up a K-9 program that we have been without for several years due to a lack of funding,” he says. “Without this assistance we would not have been able to acquire Zeke and put his amazing capabilities to use.”
“NPDF is proud to have assisted in getting the Payson County, Utah K-9 unit up and running again.”