K9 Unit

K9 McKee

McKee is a 9-year-old Belgian Malinois, trained and certified in both patrol and narcotics detection. He has been working in the community with K-9 Sgt. Steven Kingsley since August 2022.

K-9 McKee came to Bridgewater from the Malone Police Department in New York. When his handler left the department, the Malone Police Department worked with the Stanton Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports police canines, to rehome McKee.

Following the death of Sgt. Kingsley’s previous K-9 partner, Papi, in June 2022, the Bridgewater Police Department contacted Stanton Foundation K9 Program Manager Rich McLaughlin and Malone Police Chief Chris Premo about accepting McKee. After conversations about his training, background, and work record, McKee was brought to Bridgewater by his caretaker, Malone Police Officer Mark Smith, on July 6, 2022.

K-9 McKee and Sgt. Kingsley went through a revised training academy and evaluation period with the Massachusetts Department of Corrections and trainer Sgt. Mark O’Reilly. Sgt. Kingsley and K-9 McKee officially began patrol work on Aug. 6, 2022, and currently work the midnight to 8 a.m. shift.

K9 Edo

K9 Edo is a six-year-old Belgian Malinois/German Shepherd mix born in Slovakia in June of 2019. He was assigned to his handler, K9 Officer Chris Rondeau, in September of 2020. Upon assignment, K9 Edo successfully completed a Basic Patrol Academy and a Ballistics Detection Academy.

K9 Edo and Officer Rondeau are assigned to the regional SWAT team and have accumulated thousands of hours of training. Since becoming operational, the team has completed more than 150 deployments in support of patrol, SWAT, and search & rescue operations. Their work has included locating fleeing suspects, assisting in the search for missing and endangered persons, and recovering multiple firearms.

K9 Edo’s training, reliability, and operational effectiveness make him a valuable asset to the Bridgewater Police Department and surrounding communities.