COBB COUNTY, Ga. — The City of Marietta recently awarded a senior police officer as “Employee of the Year.”
He brings joy and comfort into schools, but he couldn’t have done it without his four-legged partner.
Channel 2’s Steve Gehlbach learned “Barney” is transforming classrooms and the way a community deals with crisis.
Barney the black English Labrador’s official title is “crisis response facility dog.” He knows when he gets in the car and has on his police vest, it’s time to work.
He’s mostly in the elementary schools, but he’s also there to offer support, or give students strength in times of grief, at Marietta’s middle or high school.
Unlike other police K9s sniffing out substances or a suspect, Barney is more at home on the kindergarten carpet than the crime scene.
He even has unique commands to “talk” or to comfort. Marietta Senior Officer Paul Hill got Barney in 2023 just before the lab turned 2 years old.
The school resource officer went looking for new and innovative ways to connect with students.
“When I enter a room, they don’t see me. They see Barney, because Barney is the kindest, most nonjudgemental creature that’s ever walked this Earth,” Hill said.
He’ll play games, like an obstacle course where the kids follow the dog, and this police dog they are encouraged to pet.
Barney is certified to be on the witness stand with a child as they testify in court. He’s also been on patrol - Hill remembered a time they were called to a woman who was suicidal, and Barney jumped up on the bed with her, waiting till the ambulance arrived, saving her life.
“He did it. It wasn’t anything that I did,” Hill said.
Barney assists in investigations of crimes against children as well, helping in forensic interviews where they have to describe possible abuse.
“Barney trusts me. And if barney trusts me, then a lot of times they’re like, ‘Maybe we can, too,’” Hill said.
Funding for Barney - the extra hours, the vet, training - all comes from community donations. You can find out more on his Facebook and Instagram pages.
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