OGDEN, Utah — Ogden School District officials are now welcoming the arrival of a new K-9 officer they say will enhance school safety in detecting firearms and explosives within the district's schools.
Piper, a 2-year-old female German Shorthaired Pointer, is the 2nd K-9 of her kind in use in the state. Only Granite School District and Ogden School District are using K-9's for firearm detection.
According to the district, they worked closely with the Ogden Police Department to ensure the proper training and use of Piper. Officer R. Mackley, a school resource officer assigned to Ben Lomond Highschool, is Piper's dedicated handler.
Piper's name was chosen to honor the high school's mascot, the Scots, and their student bagpipe group.
The new K-9 officer has received training at the Utah POST Academy and has been in active service since April. She undergoes daily training sessions with Officer Mackley, in addition to formal training twice a month alongside other K-9 units in the Ogden Police Department. She has also successfully assisted in detecting firearms during police calls outside of schools.
“Having the K-9 unit in our school in addition to a human school resource officer enhances the physical safety at our school. Additionally, having Piper on our campus has been a positive influence on the social-emotional well being of our students,” Ben Lomond High School's Principal Veldon Wardle said about the impact she is having at the school.
In the schools, Piper is utilized through a coordinated effort with school administration to identify areas for firearms detection. In the selected areas, students are temporarily removed from the location to allow Piper to sweep for for potential firearms. To date, Piper hasn't detected any firearms on Ogden School District campuses.
