Deputy Chief Officer Tim Fowler and K9 Officer Flex
Cleveland State Community College invites the community to meet the college’s first K9 officer, Flex. The Paws on Patrol: Welcoming K9 Officer Flex ceremony will be Friday, July 19, 1 p.m. in the Health and Science Center on the college campus.
Officer Flex is a 17-month-old German Shorthair Pointer, a breed that is known for their scent detection. He will be the first K9 officer at a community college in Tennessee.
Flex has been in K9 officer training for the last 15 months; he will partner with Deputy Chief Officer Tim Fowler at Cleveland State. With 25 years of police experience, Officer Fowler is completing his first year at Cleveland State. Officers Fowler and Flex recently completed 120 hours of certification training together in Ashland, Ohio.
“Flex is a great addition to the Cleveland State community,” said Robert Deyo, Cleveland State Campus Police chief. “Flex’s keen sense of smell and friendly demeanor fit the bill of both a working police K-9 and a college community relations representative. Not only will he be serving the Cleveland State community, he will be lending a paw to local law enforcement agencies who need his expertise.”
Funding for the K9 officer program was provided by grants from K9 Working Dogs International, American Kennel Club Reunite Adopt a K9 Cop and others.
The welcome ceremony on July 19 will feature a demonstration of Flex’s skills, light refreshments and a photo opportunity. Community members, city officials, local law enforcement, first responders, college employees and students are invited to attend.
For more information about K9 Officer Flex, contact the Cleveland State Campus Police at 618-1720 or tfowler02@clevelandstatecc.edu.