CHARLESTOWN, Ind. (WDR) -- The Charlestown Police Department has a new officer on the streets, and she's pretty adorable.
Her name is K-9 Hurley. She was named in honor of a hometown hero.
"Hurley is the middle name of our fallen Sgt. Ben Hurley Bertram,” Officer Adam Clark said.
Bertram was killed in a crash while chasing a suspect in December. He was just 33 years old. He loved animals and was a K-9 handler for the police department.
"Before Sgt. Bertram passed away, he had conversations with the chief and the assistant chief, and he wanted to expand the K-9 division,” Clark said. “The chief came to me, and I was honored and excited to be offered the position."
K-9 Hurley is Clark's new partner. He’s a school resource officer for schools in the Charlestown area. Hurley will work with him in the schools and during other police operations.
"I do want to hold that standard high just like Sgt. Bertram did,” Clark said. “His dedication to the profession and to his dogs was bar none."
At just eight weeks old, K-9 Hurley is already helping to heal a community that's still hurting.
"Not only does she spark joy in the kids, she sparks joy in me," Clark said. "She sparks joy in the other officers."
Right now, it's mostly playing, chewing and sniffing everything in sight.
"So far, it's like having a newborn," Clark said. "I'm just going to be honest with you."
But soon, Hurley will be a working police dog. Clark will work to build a bond with his new partner and then start training her for narcotics detection.
"With her traits, she's not going to have a problem,” He said. “I would say, at least by a year old, she'll be ready to be certified, if not sooner."
She’s a little puppy with a big legacy to live up to.
"Her future holds a lot, and, you know, I've got a lot of shoes to fill,” Clark said.
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