Falmouth Police K9 Kepo is assigned to Officer Lawler and certified in narcotics detection and trained to track missing persons.
For vehicle inventory searches in Massachusetts, the legal inquiry centers on whether the vehicle was lawfully impounded for a legitimate non-investigatory purpose and whether impoundment was reasonably necessary. The Serpa Law Office notes that officers in the Beechman case acted against their department policy.
During that inventory, officers located a loaded firearm under the front passenger seat.
A Dog With a Growing Resume
Kepo, assigned to handler Officer Lawler, is certified in narcotics detection and article searches, and is trained in searches for missing individuals. Renata, handled by Officer DeVito, is certified in explosives and firearms detection and regularly assists with security at regional events like the Boston Marathon and the Falmouth Road Race, according to the Falmouth Chamber of Commerce.
This wasn't Kepo's first high-profile narcotics case. In July, the dog assisted Falmouth officers executing a court-authorized search warrant after a disturbance call in East Falmouth, a search that turned up 120 grams of cocaine, hallucinogens, and steroids and led to felony drug trafficking charges, per CapeCod.com. A March 5, 2026, Route 28 stop involving two Edgartown men involved approximately 407.85 grams of suspected cocaine.
A Night Lost in the Woods
Four days after the crash-scene bust, Kepo's training took on a very different urgency. On October 9, Falmouth officers responded to a wooded area behind Pinyon Way to search for a woman experiencing a medical emergency who had become stranded in the woods overnight and could not find her way out, the department said. The search area was wooded.
K9 Officer DeVito, Officer Cannistraro, K9 Officer Lawler, and K9 Kepo began tracking to locate the woman, covering approximately five miles of terrain, per the Falmouth Police Department's account. Officer Fusaro responded with the department's drone, and officers used it to make voice announcements into the wooded area — airborne communications meant to reach someone who couldn't be easily found on foot. The woman eventually communicated with a Falmouth emergency communications dispatcher, who helped guide officers directly to her location, allowing Falmouth officers to locate her and bring her to safety.
Regional Backup and Community Funding
The department publicly thanked Falmouth Emergency Communications, Falmouth Fire and Rescue, the Barnstable County Technical Rescue Team, and others who assisted in the search. The Barnstable County Technical Rescue Team joined the regional search effort. Falmouth police credited teamwork, communication, and the rapid deployment of specialized resources with the woman's safe recovery.
The Falmouth Police Foundation provides support to the department. The canine teams also assist surrounding municipalities.
Falmouth has had narcotics enforcement actions this year, including a March 5, 2026, Route 28 cocaine case involving Falmouth Police and the DEA task force.
