Osage Beach Police Officer Sam Ford & K9 'Axel' To Retire

Two members of the Osage Beach Police Department are leaving: Osage Beach Police Corporal Sam Ford and K9 Axel, the police dog in Cpl. Ford's charge.

Cpl. Ford has served with the OBPD for approximately 18 years. His last day with the department was Friday, Oct. 5, and he is resigning for undisclosed personal reasons. Cpl. Ford has been the handler of Axel since the dog came to the force in 2012.

The Retirement and Adoption of K9 Officer Axel

The Osage Beach Board of Aldermen approved a request by Cpl. Ford to retire Axel at their Thursday, Oct. 4 board meeting. The board also approved, in the same meeting, to allow Cpl. Ford to adopt Axel. “It is only right that they stay together – they have been family for six years,” Osage Beach Police Chief Todd Davis said.

The city acquired Axel for free from K2 Solutions, Inc. via a donation. At that time, Axel was three years, four months of age and he replaced the retiring K9 "AJ"; who retired at seven years of age, after serving the city for six years. Upon AJ's retirement, AJ was adopted and found his forever home with former City Airport Manager Bud Hyde, who is said to have moved to a large farm in New York.

Speaking of Axel, Chief Davis said, “Cpl. Ford and K9 Officer Axel have been a benefit to the city. They have assisted in numerous seizures of illegal drugs and have assisted in locating missing persons.”

The pair also assisted neighboring law enforcement agencies with the same, including; the Lake Ozark Police Department, Eldon Police Department, Camdenton Police Department, Camden and Miller County Sheriff’s Departments, the Lake Area Narcotics Enforcement Group (LANEG), the Mid-Missouri Narcotics Task Force, as well as the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Axel earned the certification of Missouri Police Canine Association and the North American Police Work Dog Association.

Cpl. Ford said in a previous interview that police dogs bring an unbelievable array of traits and tools to the job. Their sense of hearing and smell go well beyond that of humans. As Cpl. Ford puts it, "When we walk in the house and smell cooking odors, we might ask, ‘Beef stew for dinner tonight?’ The dog smells the tomatoes and the salt and the pepper and the beef and the carrots and the potatoes. That is why the drugs hidden in the coffee don’t fool the dog. He smells the coffee, but he also smells the drugs. The canine sense of smell is so acute it separates all the different odors and catalogs each one. In addition, the psychological advantage of a trained dog allows police officers to find and apprehend suspects who might otherwise attempt flight or fight."

Cpl. Ford and K9 Officer Axel’s Impact Reaches Nationwide

In 2014, the Osage Beach Police Department hosted the Missouri Police Canine Association (MPCA) Annual Workshop for the second time at the Lake of the Ozarks, due to the hard work of Cpl. Ford and Axel. The 2014 MPCA workshop drew Master Trainers from as far as Texas to test and issue nationally recognized certifications in all facets of police K9 uses, including explosives and narcotics detection in both buildings and automobiles, tracking and search techniques in the field, and suspect apprehension and arrest.

Time to retire

The average working age span of a Police K9 is six to nine years, depending on the overall use and health of the canine. As of this month, Axel is nine years and two months of age.

Currently, Axel is being treated for pain in his right rear leg and is on anti-inflammatory medication. There was not an obvious incident that caused the injury, but earlier this month while training at the Missouri Police Canine Association Fall Conference, he began limping and favoring his leg. Due to the injury, Cpl. Ford did not attempt to obtain his annual certification testing.

According to the staff report, since Axel's handler, Cpl. Ford, resigned from the city, they would have had to assign a new handler to Axel and send the new handler to train for six to eight weeks, at an approximate cost of $3,600, not including meals and lodging.

At this time, due to Axel's current health and age, the city believed it was in the best interest of Axel to retire and be adopted by his current handler.

Loyal and Courageous Service

The aldermen, in a resolution to be voted on Thursday evening, said they were pleased to honor and authorize the retirement of K9 Officer Axel after nearly six years of loyal and courageous service; and they congratulated Axel on his well-earned and honorable retirement and wished him well in his retirement.

Chief Davis said the community has loved Axel, especially the children. “He was a great public relations tool and the face of the police force,” Chief Davis said. Axel visited schools, churches and organizations. “He has a personality that can be friendly and lovable, yet he knows when it is time to go to work and he knows his job,” Chief Davis added.

Going forward Chief Davis said they will seek another dog with a temperament like Axel's, and see where the road takes them. “We will then have to find that person who wants to be handler of a K9, and that is a big commitment. They are not only your partner at work, but they also become a member of your family.”

There are an estimated 30,000 police dogs throughout the United States.

“Cpl. Ford and K9 Officer Axel were both benefits to the city and they will both be missed,” Chief Davis said.

The city currently has 24 full time officers. They are seeking an officer to replace Cpl. Ford. For information on the position visit the city website at osagebeach.org.