Celebrating 10 Years of Service: The Lawrence Police Department’s Patrol Service Dog Unit
By Rich Lockhart LKPD Chief of Police
Have some tin or aluminum you’re looking to get rid of? Drop it off at the police station—we’d love to take it off your hands! Why, you ask? This year marks the 10th anniversary of our Patrol Service Dog (PSD) program, and we’re celebrating. A gift made of tin for the tenth anniversary represents the enduring strength and flexibility to change through a decade of commitment. Our PSD program has certainly adapted over time to fit our community’s needs and has grown to include three amazing dogs, and one of our handlers is now even a judge. I hope you’ll read about it here. It’s just one of the many stories we’re excited to share with you this quarter. Did you know LKPD trains its own officers? It’s a tradition that began in the late 1970s, and now, 48 academy classes later, it’s still going strong. In this report, we take a look back at the history of police training in Lawrence—and why we believe it’s just better here. Another reason to celebrate: Lt. Amy Rhoads has graduated from the FBI National Academy’s executive-level program. Her accomplishment highlights the growing role of women in law enforcement and how their leadership is transforming the profession for the better. Learn how Lt. Rhoads’ experience will benefit our department, our community, and her career. And here’s something really cool: you’ve heard of lowrider cars, but have you heard of lowrider bikes? We’re partnering with the Boys and Girls Club of Douglas County and The Diverse One’s Car Club to bring a new creative opportunity to kids in our community. The idea came from Erik Erazo, a Lawrence resident who runs a similar program in Olathe. With Erik’s help, we’ll help local youth build their own bike-based works of art this summer. Also in this report, you’ll find new charts and visuals. Using what we call Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s), you can see how we are using the City’s Strategic Plan to guide and inform our work. We’d love to hear from you. Let us know what information you’d like to see in future editions. Finally, a quick note: this quarterly report will now take the place of our former annual report. Why? Because we believe in keeping our community informed more often, with timely updates and more frequent communication. Instead of once a year, you’ll now hear from us four times annually. Thanks for reading and thank you for being a part of our community.
(L to R) Officer Joshua Doncouse and K9 Shadow, Corporal Kevin Henderson and K9 Mack, Officer Austin Twite and K9 Taz
Laura McCabe
peacefully. Our K9s have helped us de-escalate situations and safely take even the most dangerous suspects into custody without any use of force whatsoever.”
LKPD Communications Manager
Meet Mack, Shadow, and Taz, alongside their handlers, Corporal Kevin Henderson, Officer Josh Doncouse, and Officer Austin Twite. They’re officially 10 years old—the team that is. Over the past decade, the Lawrence, Kansas Police Department’s Patrol Service Dog (PSD) Unit has made an immense impact on the community, apprehending hundreds of suspects and sniffing out a lot of dangerous drugs before they could cause harm. To date, the unit has seized approximately 87.5 pounds of methamphetamine, 11 pounds of cocaine, 4.5 pounds of heroin, half a pound of fentanyl, and 938 pounds of marijuana. A Vision of Proactive Policing Corporal Kevin Henderson, who was instrumental in establishing the PSD Unit, says his motivation was to help prevent harm: “One of my driving forces was to take a more proactive approach in removing controlled substances
Officer Austin Twite training with K9 Taz
from the streets before they could cause the tragic outcomes I’ve personally seen over the years.” In addition, K9s have been a game changer when it comes to safe arrests and reducing officer risk. “I’ve seen firsthand how just the presence of a K9 can saves the lives of both suspects and officers,” Henderson says. “When officers announce the K9 is on the scene or a suspect hears the dog bark, many times they surrender
A Community-Loved Program Beyond law enforcement, the PSD Unit has become a beloved part of the Lawrence community. The team regularly participates in presentations at schools, scout groups, and retirement communities. You may have even encountered them at local events or heard tales on social media about the retired K9, Cheeseburger—who became a community favorite. How it Began The story of the PSD Unit begins in Pipe Creek, Texas, at the Hill Country Dog Center. It was there the team began selecting K9s for their diverse roles. Henderson explains, “The dogs undergo various tests to identify desirable traits for their chosen discipline— whether it’s narcotics detection, explosives, or patrol functions.” The goal was to find dualpurpose dogs that could perform multiple tasks and maximize the unit’s efficiency and effectiveness. “We knew we couldn’t afford to have a dog limited to just one task,” says Henderson. “Our K9s need to be versatile.” This philosophy led to the unit creation of Patrol Service Dogs—K9s that work with officers who also work a standard patrol shift. The dogs are deployed, only as needed, to assist in apprehending suspects, detect controlled substances, or other tasks. The team returned from Texas with the department’s first two dogs, Kai and Cheeseburger. Once back in Lawrence, the officers SERVICE DOGS
K9 Mack waits for Corporal Henderson’s next command.
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Parks, Recreation and Culture Enroll in a program today at http://lawrenceks.org/lprd/programs
April 27, 2025
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