Introducing K-9 Barney

Introducing K-9 Barney
Monday, November 9, 2020

The newest officer to join UNC Charlotte’s Police and Public Safety (PPS) Department recently started making rounds throughout campus, enjoying the adoring compliments and all the petting he could take. If that made you pause, then you probably have figured it out — the newest officer is a furry, four-legged tan canine named Barney.  

A name that conjures up images of a joyful purple dinosaur or Mayberry’s beloved deputy sheriff, Barney, the K-9 officer, is a 70-pound, two-year-old Labrador Retriever with unique skills; he is an explosive ordnance detection dog. With established perimeters, he is able to help with searches for keys, guns and wallets and can track a person’s last known location point.

“It is imperative to understand, he is not an arrest canine, and he will not be used to apprehend anyone — his primary role is detecting explosive compounds,” said PPS Chief of Police Jeff Baker.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, special campus events such as football games and Commencement had increasingly larger crowd sizes, and the University relied upon bomb-sniffing (or bomb-detection) dogs by other agencies for these events. UNC Charlotte’s Safety and Security officials, taking into account campus growth and the addition of light rail, prioritized adding a K-9 officer.  

“The addition of Barney is the continuation of the department’s efforts to keep the campus community safe,” Baker said. 

After completing training at the Ventosa Kennels in Scotland Neck, North Carolina, K-9 Barney and his handler, Patrol Sgt. Santerrio Johnson, have been inseparable. Johnson, who has been a part of PPS since 2013, is an Air Force veteran who began his law enforcement career in 2010 in his hometown of Columbia, South Carolina. 

As an “up-and-coming leader in the department,” Johnson was an ideal selection as a handler because of his enthusiasm for the value of a PPS K-9 program and his compassion for canines, said Baker. He also had the capacity to incorporate another dog into his home.

Baker and Johnson are aware that when most people see an officer with a canine it is often assumed it’s a narcotics dog, but they are quick to point out these animals are not one and the same.

“Labs are very gentle dogs and as bomb dogs, which is the more common reference, they are a bit more unassuming and tend not to be intimidating,” said Johnson.

“As I network and look closely at what has made programs for NC A&T, Chapel Hill, Greensboro and N.C. State successful, my aim is to establish awareness about how K-9 Barney is an added safety resource for UNC Charlotte,” Johnson explained.  

Because the state requires canine officers to complete a minimum of eight hours of training per month, Barney and his handler dedicate two hours per day to ongoing training. Most recently, they worked on locating ammunition shell casings. 

Unlike the more broadly known fact that people should avoid interaction with service dogs, Johnson said K-9 Barney enjoys the attention and likes to receive lots of love. 

“We hope Niner Nation embraces K-9 Barney. As we move throughout campus, people are encouraged to stop us and ask questions, to learn more about what he does,” said Johnson.