The La Vergne Police Department welcomes a new pairing to their ranks with Officer Jonathan McCall and K-9 Bora, who have officially started their tenure as the city's latest K-9 team. According to the official announcement from the City of La Vergne, these two seasoned department members will be focusing their efforts on tasks ranging from narcotics detection to community outreach efforts. McCall, having spent three years with the department, finally accomplishes his initial career goal of taking on K-9 responsibilities after several months supporting the previous K-9 unit.
Officer McCall has always eyed the K-9 position, assisting with training exercises, tracks, narcotics searches, and community demonstrations even before being officially instated. "K-9 was something I wanted from the start of my career," Officer McCall told La Vergne. The responsibility of a K-9 officer stretches beyond regular shifts, extending into a round-the-clock commitment to the wellbeing and performance of the canine partner. In preparation for this new role, McCall spent a week shadowing the previous handler, which allowed for Bora, described as social and skilled, to become comfortable with her new partner amidst the team-specific regimens.
After finishing an exhaustive 80-hour K-9 handler school in Jonesboro, Arkansas, the team is now certified in advanced areas that include obedience, patrols, and narcotics detection. Discussing his experience, McCall emphasized the unique dynamics of working with a trained K-9. “They’re trained from early on to do this work, but they still wait for your direction. Watching her focus, seeing her work; it’s cool to watch that bond grow,” McCall explained, as stated in an announcement by the City of La Vergne. He further noted that their collaborative expertise would help in tracking missing persons, locating evidence, and enhancing overall emergency response capacities.
The La Vergne community has already seen Bora’s friendly nature at events such as Goblins and Goodies at the Park, where her public appearances are part of an effort to build trust between citizens and the police force. "It matters for people to see that our dogs aren't just here to find drugs or catch bad guys," said McCall. His sentiment echoes Police Chief Christopher Moews’ thoughts on the significance of the bond between an officer and their K-9, reinforcing trust, consistency, and shared purpose as pivotal elements to their combined success. Moews praised the dedication of both Officer McCall and Bora, and the city looks forward to the value they will add to the community and the department, as noted in the city's official announcement.
