OCALA, Fla. — Editor's Note: The video above is from October 2020.
The K-9 unit at the Ocala Police Department has a new member.
K-9 Graham was welcomed Monday as the newest certified apprehension and drug detection Belgian Malinois, donated by two local business owners.
Doug Cone of Cone Distributing and John Duggan of Black Label Marine Group split the cost of the $9,500 canine.
K-9 Graham was named after the late Police Chief Greg Graham.
Graham died in a plane crash in 2020 after being with the agency for 37 years – the last eight as chief.
“Greg Graham left a huge legacy to the city of Ocala and the police department,” wrote current Chief of Police Mike Balken in a statement. “Having a K-9 that carries his name is just one way that we as an agency can continue to remember a great man.”
K-9 Graham went through 480 hours of training to become certified and will continue training through his years of service.
“Police K-9s are incredibly important tools that we use to address crime in Ocala,” Officer Amado Burgos, K-9 Graham’s handler, wrote. “Dogs like K-9 Graham will help officers get guns and drugs off the streets.”
