Ottawa swears in new K-9 officer

Ottawa not only announced a new police chief Tuesday, but it also gained another officer.

Mini Hooper was sworn in as the Ottawa Police Department’s newest K-9 officer by Mayor Robb Hasty, with his officer Charlie Hooper close by to bear witness.

Mini joins on the K-9 duty roster Rookie, the department’s therapy dog, and Muskie, who like the newest officer is a patrol dog used for investigating drugs and tracking.

“The department looks at what the community’s needs are,” Ottawa Police Chief Brent Roalson said, “and that’s one of the missing pieces of the puzzle, is dealing with the stresses not only in the community, but also for our officers and firefighters. Dealing with that, Rookie has been a no-brainer choice, and it’s been great. We’re happy to have a couple of big brothers with us, too.”