Novi, Michigan, June 24, 2008 – On June 6, 2008, a new member of the Novi Police Department joined the team when K-9 "Alex" officially became Officer Bob Manar’s partner. Alex is a German Shepherd and has been assigned badge number 907. He joins colleague Moose and handler Officer Shawn Penzak on the force.

Alex was born in the Netherlands on June 21, 2006 and began an extensive two-week training program in February 2008. Alex then trained with Officer Manar for an additional five weeks of canine training. At the Oakland Police K-9 Academy, Alex successfully completed his training and all tests and received official certification on by the National Association of Professional Canine Handlers (NAPCH) in both narcotics and tracking.

"Attending the academy with Alex was a most humbling experience; seeing how these dogs work is quite an amazing feat," notes Officer Manar. "This is going to be one of the most rewarding decisions I have ever made and I look forward to working with Alex and watching him become an integral part of the Novi Police Department team."

Officer Manar has been a member of the Novi Police Department since May of 2005. He graduated first in his class at Wayne County Regional Police Academy and is a graduate of the University of Michigan – Dearborn where he earned his degree in Criminal Justice.

"K-9s teams are a vital asset to the any police department. They are able to track suspects who have fled, search buildings that a suspect may be using as shelter, apprehend fleeing suspects, protect their handlers, and detect narcotics," said David Molloy, Novi’s Chief of Police. "The dogs also provide a wonderful community relations benefit by performing K-9 demonstrations at local schools and community events."

Alex was purchased by the City of Novi with drug forfeiture funds. These same funds paid for the training program and will pay the dog’s food and veterinary expenses.