Cobb Police Show K-9 Training

At West Cobb Regional Library this week, Metro, a Dutch Shepherd K-9 with the Cobb Police Department, showed off his skills by sniffing out a sealed box of heroin hidden in the room.

Families got to meet Metro, his handler, Officer Nicholas Muncy, and Officer Jonathan Bultman during a presentation on how K-9s use their senses to catch bad guys.

Metro showed his expertise at narcotics detection by finding the sealed box and giving visual cues to alert his handler. Upon completing his task, Muncy rewarded him with his favorite toy.

Prior to Metro making his entrance, attendees were given a presentation by Bultman where they learned more about the department’s K-9 unit.

The department has 11 K-9s and handlers called teams. The dogs vary between three breeds: German Shepherd, Dutch Shepherd and Belgian Malinois.

Seven teams specialize in evidence tracking and recovery as well as narcotics detection, while the other four specialize in explosive detection.

K-9 & Handler Selection Process

In their presentation, Bultman explained the process for how each dog is selected.

Every K-9’s career begins in Europe, according to Bultman.

Cobb County partners with Southern Coast K9, a K-9 training kennel in Smyrna Beach, Florida, to select potential dogs in European countries like Germany, Turkey, and Hungary. Representatives from Southern Coast K9 select 10 to 20 dogs and bring them back to the U.S. to begin training with individual departments.

The presentation also outlined how trainers are selected for each K-9 unit.

Each year, the department selects between two to three candidates. Teams of different dogs and handlers go through a series of training modules including obstacle courses and evidence/narcotics recovery exercises.

“A lot that goes into it is communication and teamwork. They’re trying to see how well you work together as a team,” Bultman said.

The selection process also includes interviews where unit board members assess each handler’s character to ensure they will treat their dog with care.

Upon selection, handlers and dogs are paired, and the team begins a six-month handler training process. From there, each dog lives with their trainer 24/7 for the remainder of their careers and lives.

Metro was certified as a Cobb County K-9 officer and was paired with Muncy in November of 2023.

Bultman said each dog typically works an average of eight to 10 years before retiring, depending on their performance and the department’s need for more K-9s.

‘It’s how you keep business going’

According to Bultman, each K-9 costs between $12,500 to $15,000 to recruit for the K-9 unit.

Furthermore, he said the department typically spends about $100,000 during each new dog’s first year on the job. These costs go toward buying things like specialty K-9 patrol cars, food and toys for the animal, and a kennel for the animal to live in on the handler’s property.

Although the price is hefty to bring on new K-9s, Bultman said the ends outweigh the cost.

“It’s not all about money, but it’s how you keep business going,” Bultman said. “It’s another way to cripple the criminal enterprise when we can seize (money) and use those funds elsewhere. Plus, as a taxpayer, if we can use seizure funds instead of tax money, then it’s obviously better.”

Many K-9s in the department are funded through donations from different organizations. As a thank you, Cobb police will name the dog after something associated with the donors. In 2019 and February of this year, the Atlanta Braves provided the funds for two new K-9s for the department. Cobb police subsequently named these dogs “Brave” and “Champ.”

Metro was funded by, and named after, Metro Atlanta Ambulances.