K9 Officers Join the Fulton County Schools Police Force
Photo (l–r): FCS K9 program handlers with their respective K9 officers Sean Hanse and Ernie; Jerry Robinson and Ducky; and Broderick Cleveland and Delilah.
Three furry, new hires are currently in training for their new district positions as K9 officers in the Fulton County Schools (FCS) police department. Delilah, Ducky and Ernie, all 18-month-old Labrador Retrievers, began their program with their respective handlers, FCS police officers Broderick Cleveland, Jerry Robinson and Sean Hanse on February 3. The canines, who have been formally introduced at a recent Fulton County Board of Education meeting, will soon be ready for their jobs as experts at identifying weapons and helping keep students safe.
Under the direction and coaching of Daniel McAfee, director of training for the Alabama-based company Global K9 Protection Group, both the dogs and their handlers are participating in all-day intensive training sessions for six weeks to build skills and learn to work together. Training sessions take place at various schools around the district to familiarize the dogs with school environments. Canine partners are chosen through a rigorous process of selection and learn extremely fast. Surprisingly, the big reward is not a tasty treat; rather it is a ball. And of course, praise from their handlers. But that ball reward is enough to motivate them to engage in demanding challenges and assignments with laser-sharp focus.
The district’s General Fund financed the training program as well as the K9 vehicle units which feature sophisticated cages equipped with heating and cooling capability, remote kill switches and other important high-tech safety features.
Once training is complete, the canine partners and their handlers will be deployed to schools on a daily basis. Some days, they will assist with student check-throughs with the Evolv system, Fulton’s mobile advanced, AI-based sensor technology checkpoint to detect potential weapons; other days, they will assist with random checks in the halls and other school locations. They will serve not only as hard-working K9 police officers but, unlike patrol dogs, they will be friendly visitors.
FCS Police Chief Mark Sulborski shared his hopes for the program, saying, “I’m looking forward to bringing a greater visibility of Fulton’s safety program, the work we do, and keeping dangerous behavior at bay and the community safe. It’s just more tools in the toolbox.”