Editor’s Note: This article is heavy on Star Wars references. Read on & “May the force be with you.”
(COLORADO SPRINGS) — If any dog knows how to become “one” with the (police) force, it’s Kylo, a dual-purpose K9 with the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD), certified in both apprehension and narcotics detection. Despite his name, Kylo has embraced the light side and has helped track down hives of scum and villainy since 2018.
Kylo was only a youngling of 10 months old, the youngest dog ever selected by CSPD, when he came over from the Czech Republic to be trained as a K9 padawan. He has since grown strong in the police force, having assisted with over 500 calls for service, fulfilling his role as peacekeeper of this corner of the galaxy by convincing over 100 suspects to surrender.
On Aug. 18, 2025, K9 Kylo was summoned to assist law enforcement from the Outer Rim when the Cripple Creek Police Department (CCPD) requested help locating a suspect who was wanted on an attempted robbery warrant and for questioning in another case.
CSPD officers located the suspect in a home in the Stetson Hills sector. K9 Kylo and his master conferred with other law enforcement and set up a strategy to flush the suspect from his hideout. As the suspect exited through the front door, Kylo and his allies were waiting. Kylo took up his role as diplomat and enthusiastically negotiated a peaceful surrender.
Even a defender of the city has to find some balance in his life, and K9 Kylo does this at home with his brothers, Scout, a black and tan German Shepherd, and Brady, a small but powerful Chiweenie and supreme leader of the home.
Kylo keeps his skills sharp by engaging in mock battles with Scout, who is a worthy and enthusiastic opponent. The two enjoy playing tug-of-war or wrestling with each other. Kylo allows Scout to occasionally get the upper hand, but will remind Scout who is the master when he becomes overconfident.
K9 Kylo rejects the idea of avoiding attachments and is very close to his family. Belly and back rubs from his mom help him achieve serenity.
Kylo was knighted as K9 March Madness champion after a final round against K9 Kai in 2022, and then went on to take the honor for a total of three consecutive years. To maintain balance in the police force, he decided to step away from the battle in 2025.
K9 Kylo was called in to assist his allies on July 2, 2025, when officers located a stolen planetary vehicle in the sector of North Nevada Avenue and Garden of the Gods Road. CSPD set up surveillance and reported that the suspect appeared to be wielding a weapon and wearing a mask while attempting to take flight.
When the suspect landed the stolen vehicle in a parking lot, officers set up a blockade, allowing Kylo to perform negotiations. With great passion, Kylo vocalized dire warnings to the suspect and convinced him to peacefully surrender.
K9 Kylo has served on many missions, and as one of the old guard, he is preparing to leave the battlefield behind. Though he has loved his role as peacekeeper for the humans of Colorado Springs, he will be content to spend his days running along the fence with the neighbor’s dogs, barking at other species through the window, and sleeping on the couch surrounded by his family.
