Caliche Elementary Students Tour Sterling PD, Meet K9 Vader

The same dog that has helped take armed robbery suspects off Logan County streets and sniffed out hidden narcotics on Sterling patrol shifts stood in front of Caliche Elementary schoolchildren Friday for a live demonstration, giving students a close look at one of the Sterling Police Department's most versatile tools.

K-9 Vader is a jet-black German Shepherd born and raised in Portugal, now assigned alongside his handler, Sergeant Josh Baier, to Sterling PD's Patrol Division. The pair trained together at K-9 Working Dogs International in Ashland, Ohio before joining the department, completing an intensive two-week program. Since then, Vader has been deployed on calls ranging from narcotics detection to criminal apprehension, and has become one of the unit's most visible faces at community outreach events across the county.

Vader and Sgt. Baier operate as a dual-purpose team: their formal mission covers prevention and detection of crimes, locating and apprehending criminals, reducing illegal drug activity, searching for missing children, and helping keep schools drug-free. The K-9 team recertifies annually through the Colorado Police Canine Association, with ongoing training between cycles to maintain proficiency.

Friday's visit brought students from Caliche Elementary, a PreK-through-sixth-grade school serving roughly 127 students on County Road 65 in Iliff, into the Sterling Police Department for a guided tour. The event is part of a broader suite of community programs Sterling PD maintains under Chief Tyson R. Kerr, including a formal "Tour Your Police Department" program and the long-running Kops 'N Kids initiative. Sterling PD also maintains a School Resource Officer Program, making school-based engagement a recurring priority rather than a one-off gesture.

For a rural school whose entire enrollment fits comfortably in a single gymnasium, the firsthand look at how Vader is actually used, not just as a mascot but on active patrol calls, offered context that few classroom lessons can match. The department encourages schools and community groups interested in K-9 demonstrations to contact Sgt. Baier directly at (970) 522-3512.