Official Site of The Watertown Police Department in Watertown, South Dakota

Sergeant Kirk Ellis and Thera Dakota

The WPD established two Drug K-9 Teams to serve as an aggressive, active, and impartial narcotic detection team whose goals are as follows:

· Roadside interdiction of illegal drugs and substances being transported into and through the City of Watertown.

· Provide assistance to WPD officers and other law enforcement agencies in the detection of illegal drugs and substances.

· Institute public awareness and education programs through the media, business and civic organizations, and the education system.

The Watertown Police Department wholeheartedly thanks the Watertown Community Foundition for its grant from the Endres Donor Fund and other other donors for making Thera Dakota possible.

The WPD Drug K-9 Team is trained pursuant to the guidelines, philosophies and objectives of the International Congress of Police Service Dogs as set under the Standards of the State of South Dakota.

Each member of the WPD Drug K-9 Team successfully completes a training program deemed appropriate to bring the team to certification level in their respective training field. This level of training is consistent with the standards set forth under the International Congress of Police Service Dogs and as adopted and set forth by the State of South Dakota.

Sergeant Troy VanDusen and Turk

More about Sgt VanDusen

The WPD K9 program is funded largely through private donations. An agency endowment fund was established at the Watertown Community Foudnation to support Watertown Police Department activities to include Camp Chance, Police Explorers, Drug K-9 Teams, Safety Patrol, drug and alcohol prevention initiatives and other community focused initiatives identified by the Watertown Police Department.

In September of 2010, one of the original two WPD canines (Hondo) died as a result of a disease. T-shirts commemorating Hondo are available for purchase at Technicolor Screen Printing and also at the Humane Society Store on Kemp Ave. Proceeds from T-shirt sales go to support the K9 program.