‘Go-to dog’: Police K-9 racks up major drug seizures across Des Moines area
By Jodi Long
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CLIVE, Iowa (KCCI) — A 5-year-old Dutch shepherd named Dutch is helping Clive police sniff out drugs across the Des Moines metro, and his success could soon lead to another K-9 joining the force.
Dutch works overnight with Sgt. Brian Kempnich, the metro’s only K-9 team on the night shift. The pair have worked together for four years and are often called to assist other metro departments.
“Every day I come to work, he is with me,” Kempnich said.
Dutch is specially trained to detect drugs, and police say he is requested almost daily by agencies in West Des Moines, Urbandale, Waukee and Windsor Heights.
“He is the go-to dog, yeah,” Kempnich said. “He has a very good success rate; he’s gotten a lot of drugs off the street.”
Clive police say Dutch seized 62 pounds of methamphetamine in 2024 alone, along with dozens of pounds of cocaine and marijuana since.
The city sits at the junction of Interstate 80/35 where 140,000 drivers travel through the town’s 1-mile stretch daily.
Investigators say the drugs they pick up off the street are often in transit, found in mail packages and vehicles. Chief Mark Rehberg said the numbers are significant for a small department.
“Clive is not a huge community, but to have those numbers associated with our K-9 program, I think those are substantial amounts,” Rehberg said.
The department said Dutch’s performance has made the K-9 program one of the department’s most successful efforts in nearly three decades. The department hopes to add a second K-9 as soon as next year.
“It gives us twice the coverage, and we have twice the ability to intercept these drugs that are coming in through our community.”
Officials say the addition would cost about $120,000, which includes the cost of the dog, training and outfitting a squad car to transport the animal.
The K-9 pair will work together for a few years before Dutch is done working. He turns 6 years old this summer. Police dogs stop patrolling between the ages of 6 and 9.
“It will be pretty heartbreaking when he retires,” said Kempnich.
The K-9 program is not funded by the city.
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