‘Reliable, Focused, Tenacious’ Georgia Police Dog Retires After 7 Years of Service

A K-9 officer who served for seven years in a Georgia police department is about to start a well-deserved retirement, the department has announced.

The Marietta Police Department wrote in a Facebook post that Jacquo, an eight-year-old Belgian Malinois who was born in France, would be retiring from the force after seven years of service. 

The department also described Jacquo’s experience and credentials: 

Jacquo maintained a full patrol police dog certification through North American Police Work Dog Association (NAPWDA) as well as National Narcotic Detector Dog Association (NNDDA). This means he was specifically trained and certified in narcotics detection, article search, tracking, obedience, and criminal apprehension. He was assigned to work Evening Watch, as well as part of the MPD Crime Interdiction Unit (CIU).

The post also noted Jacquo had been deployed 530 times, leading to 181 arrests. 

In a video posted by the City of Marietta, Jacquo’s handler, Officer Joseph Powell, recalled that Jacquo once help track down an “entering auto suspect for Cobb County Police” and located the suspect hiding in the woods alongside the I-75 highway.

“Working with a canine is a little different from working with a human. They do talk back unlike [what] people think.” Powell joked about his dynamic with Jacquo. “However, the nice thing is that I know I have to trust him 100 percent and let him do his job, whereas I’m just the person holding the leash at the end of the day.”

A 2019 Facebook post by Marietta Police showed Jacquo posing next to his and Powell’s new police cruiser 

“Jacquo is showing off his new ride! The old truck served him well, but it was time for an upgrade! Oh, and his handler Officer Powell is pretty happy too,” the post read. 

Marietta Police noted Jacquo also assisted the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and the High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program, as well as other local police departments, during his career.

His former colleagues say they wish their “reliable, focused, tenacious partner” a retirement full of “rest, steak dinners, and belly rubs.”