The newest addition to Lexington’s police force is K9 dog “Sasha,” an 18- month old Belgian Malinois.

The dog and training was obtained through a grant from the JIREH K9 Training Academy, said Lexington Police Chief Josh Coen.

“Officer Jeremy Blackmon is the new handler and is in Texas for training and building searches and article searches,” said Coen.

K9 Sasha and Officer Blackmon were expected to be back on shift on February 16.

Lexington joins the ranks of other area police departments that have K9s dogs.

“The Higginsville Police Department and Odessa Police Department also have K9s and Odessa will be retiring their dog at the end of the year,” remarked Coen.

Although German Shepherds are the breed most associated with police work, in recent years the Belgian Malinois has become the leading choice for police and military work due to their intense drive, focus, agility, and smaller size.