Aida is BPD’s first K-9 dog

The Bishop Police Department (BPD) has gone to the dogs, and in the process, has made Bishop Police Department history.On July 19, 2022, a year-and-a-half black Dutch German Shepherd named Aida was sworn in by Chief Edward Day and Captain Tony Macias as the first K-9 officer for BPD.  Aida and Captain Macias have been working together for six months to combat narcotics traveling through the city and its major highway.  Aida is trained to detect marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and other illegal drugs. Prior to coming to serve Bishop, Aida was trained for 12 months in Katy, Texas. Aida and Captain Macias were paired in Bishop at Macias’s home for three weeks to ensure they would work well as a team.  The team went through rigorous training to be certified through the National Narcotics Detector Dog Association.  Chief Day and Macias plan to use Aida for community involvement within the schools or community events. “Aida loves to work and this is where I belong as a K-9 officer,” Macias said.Aida’s handler Captain Macias is no stranger to being a K-9 handler.  Macias has worked as a handler for four years at the Kleberg County Sheriff Office and Kingsville Police Department.  His previous partners have been a Belgian Malinois and a German Shepherd. Today, the team works together around the clock. their work week consists of four hours of weekly training, work, free time and obedience training at home.  Aida’s minimum of four hours of training weekly includes anything from searching vehicles, box training or anything that expose’s her to different scenarios. “Having Aida is a tremendous asset for the department and the community,'’ Chief Day said. "Captain Macias as a whole is an asset to the department, but as a K-9 handle--like he said--that’s something that is in his blood and it shows."Chief Day stated the addition of a K-9 unit was a necessity for Bishop due to the high number of narcotics trafficked through the area.  Under Supreme Court law, an officer can only hold a vehicle at a traffic stop for a certain amount of time.  If the officer suspects drugs are in possession of the driver, but a K-9 is not near the area, the officer must allow the vehicle to take off.  Through the use of  Asset Forfeiture Funds and seized drug money, BPD was able to purchase the addition of a K-9 unit.  Police captains are usually not K-9 handlers, but Macias was chosen because of his experience and drive to ensure safety.