Special Units

Hiawatha Police K9 Unit

The K-9 Unit, which was established in 2005, has been funded and supported thanks to the generous donations of numerous individuals and businesses in the Hiawatha, Marion, and Cedar Rapids community.

  • Hiawatha Police Department K9 Unit History
  • 2005-2012 K-9 MOD, German Shephard, Handler Sara Melsa-Whited
  • 2012-2020 K-9 RESO, German Shephard, Handler Erik Naaktgeboren
  • 2020-present K-9 KAYA, Dutch Shephard, Handler Erik Naaktgeboren

Our current K-9, KAYA, came from Lucas K9 in Poland and was initially trained in Forest City, Iowa at Tree Town Kennels and is nationally certified by Dogs for Law Enforcement (DLE).

Hiawatha Police K-9 Teams are trained in narcotics detection, building searches, tracking, suspect apprehension, handler protection, and other patrol duties.

The Hiawatha Police K-9 Unit hosts an annual golf outing to cover expenses for training, equipment, veterinary care, and the purchase of future K-9’s.

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If you have any questions regarding donations, sponsorships, or anything else related to the Hiawatha K9 Unit, please contact:

Hiawatha Bicycle Patrol

In 2009 our bicycle patrol program was first introduced. We began with two certified officers and bikes. Since then we have added one additional officer and bike. The program has been very successful and receives positive comments. Our officers utilize the bicycles during special events around town including: concerts in the park, farmers market, Hog Wild Days, parks department's bike rodeo, and Isaac Newton's annual bike ride through town.

The bike patrol is also utilized to address specific areas of concern. Having an officer on a bicycle increases our versatility and mobility. Additionally, when approaching suspicious situations, the bike officer can often approach undetected. Last year, we experienced a slight increase in daytime burglaries in some of our higher density population areas. A bike officer was able to recognize two suspects and make the arrests. Having a bike patrol officer in the area was crucial in apprehending these individuals. Lastly, when staffing permits, our certified bike officers conduct routine patrol similar to those officers in patrol cars. This allows us to cover areas that are difficult to patrol with a squad car.

Another benefit to the bike patrol program is the accessibility this gives the officer to citizens. Conversely, when the officers are not busy, please do not hesitate to make the most of this accessibility. Every officer is willing to answer any questions you have about the program or anything else police related.