OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — The Omaha Police Department has a new addition to the gang unit...who can do things that most officers can't.
After 17 years on the Omaha police force...Officer Dan Torres welcomes a new partner. Peace...a two-year-old yellow lab that can detect 19,000 types of explosives, firearms, shell casings and ammo.
"We trained a lot with firearms and shell casings because they knew that was probably one thing that we were going to end up doing," says Torres.
Peace comes from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, where she spent over 400 hours training with Torres.
"She started as a guiding eye for the blind and she is very independent and sometimes a little stubborn," he says.
Her personality earned her another full time job...seven days a week.
"We would do things like guys running from uniform cops, gets out of the car...starts running...throws the gun. We think it's in this area so we'd have to search the field and locate that," Torres says.
They use any chance they can to keep Peace active and thinking...even if it's not a real situation. The only meal she gets is after she finishes the job.
"We don't like using them in situations if there is a viable threat. That's when the bomb unit comes in and they do what they do because they're a lot better at it than anyone else. Plus, if it's an actual viable threat...you don't want the dog to go there. If it's an active one...the dog would potentially lose its life," says Torres.
Dogs like Peace work up to ten years at most. Torres says the police force wants dogs to live the end of their lives normally but for now, Peace seems happy right where she is.
