Bluffton elementary, middle school and high school students met the newest member of the Bluffton Police Department in assemblies today.

LOTS OF PHOTOS BELOW -

He has four legs, speaks German (as a German Shepherd he understands German language commands), has a Japanese-sounding name and loves doggie treats. He also has the ability to assist the police in several ways.

He is Kato, the department’s K-9 officer, now on duty.

The K-9 graduated this week from a month-long and intense training period with its handler, Tyler Hochstetler, a member of the department.

Kato’s $17,000 purchase came entirely from community donations last fall.

At that time Ryan Burkholder, police chief explained that there are five objectives for adding a K-9 unit to the department and the most important is to keep drugs off the streets and out of the community.

“The growing opioid and drug problem in our area continues to filter into Bluffton despite our best attempts to stop it,” he told The Icon.

He added that a K-9 is able to assist officers by performing open-air sniffs of vehicles for narcotics, including marijuana, methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and all the derivatives.

In addition, the dual-purpose canine will assist officers in track and search for missing persons, track and apprehend criminals, perform drug, building and area searches, perform article searches and recovery and assist in officer protection.

The department will provide several opportunities for the public to meet and learn about its newest staff member. Watch the Icon for those details.