Baytown Police Department welcomes its newest crime fighter, Hamilton!
Over a year ago our K-9 Unit set out on the daunting mission of expanding our K-9 Division’s
capabilities, specifically wanting to add a second Bloodhound to our team. While they
understand the vital role our four legged partners play in the fight against crime and the
importance of increasing the number of K-9’s available to help serve the citizens of Baytown,
they also believed it important to do so in as fiscally responsible a way as possible. In an effort
to accomplish that mission our K-9 family collaborated with several charitable entities around
the state and country who donate dogs to Law Enforcement agencies in an effort to find our next
four legged crime fighter.
Several months ago we submitted an application to one of those organizations, The Jimmy Ryce
Center, to be considered for the gift of a Bloodhound. The Jimmy Ryce Center is similar to the
Alie Foundation, who gave us our very first Bloodhound, the late “Mary”. Considered the gold
standard in our organization, Mary was not only instrumental in apprehending countless
criminals but her, along with her handler Corporal James Kerr, set the standard and laid the
groundwork for our organization’s successful use of Bloodhounds today.
The Jimmy Ryce Center was created after the Ryce family lost their 9 year old son, Jimmy, when
he was abducted and murdered on his way home from school in 1995. After that tragedy Don
and Claudine Ryce started the foundation to donate Bloodhounds to Law Enforcement Agencies
in an effort to help bring those who have been abducted, or otherwise missing, home. Through
that application process we were selected to be a recipient and were put in contact with a
breeder/trainer by the name of Kathleen Jones in Lexington, Texas who presented us with the
newest member of our K-9 Unit, Hamilton!
Hamilton, a three month old AKC Bloodhound, has already started his journey to becoming one
of our four legged heroes. He will be spending the next several months getting to know his new
family and going through the very basics of track training, basic obedience and crate training.
Later this year he and his handler, Officer David Lambert will attend the National Police
Bloodhound Association Certification course where they will spend a week being put through the
paces with various training exercises and scenario based testing, ensuring that Hamilton lives up
to the standard that was set forth by Mary and is emulated every day by all the other members
of our K-9 Unit.
While we dread the day the tragedy comes where we need the services of Hamilton, we want
our citizens to have confidence in the fact that should that occasion arise, their Police
Department is equipped, trained and ready to serve.
