UIPD K9 Falo retires
Lang
12/1/18
A beloved member of the University of Iowa Police Department is calling it a career.
The UIPD announced on Friday that its K9 Falo would officially retire on Saturday due to a medical condition.
Falo is a five-and-a-half-year-old Belgian Malinois trained as a Dual Purpose K9, specializing in explosive detection and patrol, which includes tracking, apprehension, handler protection, and evidence recovery.
In his short career, Falo was deployed numerous times to assist area law enforcement agencies, which included eight apprehensions of fleeing suspects.
Some of his notable calls include:
- June 12, 2015 – Falo located the firearm used in the Coral Ridge Mall homicide
- June 15, 2017 – Falo located a bullet and shell casings in a shooting in Iowa City
- December 16, 2017 – Falo located the gun used in an armed robbery in Iowa City
- August 4, 2018 – Falo located evidence used in an Ottumwa home invasion
Falo has also worked four years of Hawkeye sports seasons, keeping fans, players, and the community safe before, during, and after games. This includes every home football game, as well as large events like the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) and the Wrestling World Championships held at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in 2018.
Falo will spend his retirement at home with his handler and family.
The UI Department of Public Safety intends to purchase another K9 in the future. In the meantime, K9 Jago and his handler Officer Jess Bernhard will continue to serve the University of Iowa community as well as area law enforcement.
