SALISBURY, MD — The Salisbury Police Department announces a new addition to their K9 Unit; Police Officer First Class Daniel Derasmo will be taking on a handler position with his partner, K9 Zanzi.
Officer Derasmo’s goal of becoming a K9 Officer emerged from growing up hearing tales of K9 Units from his grandfather, Ronald Boos. Boos joined the US Airforce at age 17 in 1955, where he transitioned from pilot to military police officer and was offered a position as a K9 handler. Officer Boos and his assigned partner, K9 Arbo, trained in the 3926th K9 Section and then traveled the world together working for the Airforce while being stationed at bases in Morocco and Alaska. K9 Arbo was an important part of Officer Boos’ life, and he shared stories of their bond throughout Officer Derasmo’s childhood.
Inspired by his grandfather’s legacy, Officer Derasmo followed in his footsteps and decided to pursue a career in law enforcement. After working hard throughout K9 training, Derasmo finally applied and was accepted into the Salisbury Police Department. There he met his partner K9 Zanzi, who is a 3-year-old German Shepherd from Slovakia, and the pair work together very well according to Officer Derasmo.
“K9 Zanzi is the spitting image of my grandfather’s beloved K9 Arbo. Training with K9 Zanzi was smooth, he knew exactly what to do and I was the dummy behind the leash,” said Officer Derasmo. “We are very excited to work together to keep our community safe and help the citizens of Salisbury.”
Salisbury’s officers and their K9 partners protect the city in a multitude of ways, whether it be tracking missing persons, apprehending suspects, or locating evidence and contraband. K9 partners are able to help officers work more safely and efficiently as they can perform tasks that human officers are unable to.K9 Zanzi is specifically trained to sniff out narcotics and assist in daily resident interactions. Along with their beloved human partners, the K9 unit is composed of four working dogs; K9 Axel, K9 Bolt, K9 Chaos, and of course, K9 Zanzi.
“We are incredibly excited to have K9 Zanzi join our K9 unit at the Salisbury Police Department. Now, with four K9 officers, we have a solid and well rounded team to help support and protect the residents of Salisbury,” said Mayor Jack Heath. “I love when current residents have such a strong tie to their past, such as with Police Officer First Class Derasmo. I am looking forward to initiatives, like the K9 unit, continuing to grow at the Salisbury Police Department.”
Officer Ronald Boos with K9 Arbo.
