Ronald Howard

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Jan 10, 2025

Ronald Howard

Springfield cop and his furry partner are “Top Dog” again after a regional competition.

For the second year in a row, Patrolman Jeff Coker and his K9 partner, Kilo, placed first overall in the regional United States Police Canine Association trials at the Springfield Police Academy, beating out 30 other K9 teams.

Coker and Kilo placed first in the evidence search, suspect search, and the criminal apprehension with no gun fire events. They placed third in agility.

The two have been together for three and a half years, and they’ve built up a lot of trust.

“It’s actually very relieving knowing that you have a K9 in your vehicle with you,” Coker said. “He’s an extra set of eyes that can look outside the vehicle, and plus, his nose is unbelievable what he can actually do for us and the department as a whole.”

Coker and Kilo have qualified for the national competition, and they’ll be taking their skills to Wilson, North Carolina for the week of October 19-24 to compete against other K9 teams from across the country.

Springfield Police officers Ryan Maddox, Timothy Day, Ronald Howard and their dogs also qualified for nationals.