Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8’s new school resource officer interacts well with students and staff members. He particularly likes it when they pet him.

“He actually gets mad at me if I don’t let the kids pet him,” Fountain police Officer Melissa Warden said of Boomer, her new K-9 partner. “This first week, because he hasn’t been around this many people at one time, I’ve been limiting the amount of people who pet him. But he gets mad when I do that.”

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An 18-month-old golden retriever, Boomer recently took over for K-9 Amp, a German shepherd who served the district for six years before retiring in the spring. The four-legged officer is based at Fountain Middle School, but travels to several schools in the district.

He’s new to law enforcement, having just received his certification last month, but Warden said Boomer has already displayed a natural feel for the job.

“He loves people, and he really seems to enjoy being here,” she said.

The school district partnered with the Fountain Police Department to launch the K-9 program in 2016. Amp was initially brought in as a drug-detection dog.

“We felt that keeping terrible stuff like drugs out of our school keeps a safe environment and allows our kids to focus on their education,” said Sgt. Matt Sanchez, Amp’s handler. “The program was so successful, we wanted to continue it. Kids love dogs, teachers love dogs, staff love dogs. That, plus the deterrent, makes this a great program.”

A police officer can be an intimidating presence in a school environment, Sanchez said. Having a dog as a partner — especially one as friendly as Boomer — helps school resource officers seem more approachable and less threatening.

“Kids come in and pet the dog, and the next thing you know, they’re having a conversation with their SRO,” he said. “He helps us build very positive interactions with our students. That’s our priority.”

Boomer, who is trained to detect a broad range of narcotics, also helps with classroom instruction, officers said.

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“We can go into classrooms and talk about the dangers of drugs, and why it’s so important that we keep them out of the building,” Sanchez said. “Here at the middle school, we’ve been able to go into social studies classrooms and talk about the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Having the K-9 with us helps open up those conversations.”

As much as Boomer enjoys interacting with students and staff, he occasionally has to transition from a friendly SRO to a working drug dog.

“When he goes into work mode, looking for drugs, we’ll let the students know what’s happening and ask them to leave the classroom or the area so he can focus on the environment,” Sanchez said. “Once we pull him out of the classroom, he’s able to make the transition fairly quickly, and you can pet him and love on him again.”

Boomer’s detection skills are perishable and can erode with lack of use, Warden said. To keep him sharp, they perform several drills each week. They also participate in a group training session every Wednesday, with K-9s and their two-legged partners from all over the region.

Boomer lives at home with Warden and two canine siblings, she said.

“They have a great time,” she said. “He gets along well with every dog I’ve seen so far.”

The district’s new SRO is expected to serve the Fountain-Fort Carson community for about six years, the officers said.

“Being a K-9 officer is one of the most fun jobs you can have as a cop,” Sanchez said. “A dog is about the coolest partner you can have.”

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