UCFPD’s newest officer has a nose for crime — and a love for tennis balls.
Echo, a 20-month old German Shorthaired Pointer, recently completed a six-week training course and is the newest member of the UCFPD’s K-9 unit.
He will specialize in explosives detection, conducting sweeps of venues around campus and assisting UCFPD’s partner agencies with detection searches in their areas.
Echo, who was born in Germany, comes to UCFPD from the Police Service Dogs Training Center in Oxford, Florida. He is partnered with Ofc. Rick Delbrey, who joined UCFPD in 2015 and currently serves as a military police officer captain in the Army Reserves. The new pair brings UCFPD’s K-9 team count to five.
Ofc. Delbrey is a rookie to the K-9 unit and is looking forward to hitting the road with Echo to keep campus safe.
“Being a K-9 handler is something I always wanted to do,” said Delbrey. “Having Echo with me increases my ability to help everyone in my community.”
When off-duty, Echo enjoys tennis balls and playing tug of war.
Support from the community helps with purchasing, training, and caring for the four-legged officers that play such a critical role in campus safety.
If you’d like to give to UCFPD’s K-9 fund, visit ucffoundation.org/givenow. In the “Search for Fund” box, search “Police K-9.”
