On Wednesday, December 10, 2025, the Indiana State Police held a ceremony at the Indiana State Police Museum for the eight new Indiana State Police, one Lawrence County Deputy Patrol K-9 Handlers and their newly appointed K-9 partners that successfully completed the 16th Indiana State Police K-9 Training School. Trooper Austin Collins (Jasper Post) and his partner “Leo” were among those graduates.
The Indiana State Police K-9 School is an annual 12-week school held in Indianapolis, with over 480 hours of instruction to include obedience, tracking, locating articles of evidence, apprehension of fighting or fleeing suspects, building searches, narcotics detection, and handler protection. K-9 handlers also receive training in K-9 legal concepts and classes on odor detection theory and tracking situations. Teams train at night and in varying conditions with scenario-based training and problem-solving situations for eight to ten hours a day.
Indiana State Police K-9 breeds include German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, and Dutch Shepherds, all imported from Europe. The K-9s are certified through Dogs for Law Enforcement Organization.
Leo is a Belgian Malinois that came to the ISP from Poland. He is just over a year old. His handler, Trooper Collins, is a three-year veteran of the Indiana State Police and a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. Trooper Collins was also a police officer with the French Lick Police Department for three years before attending the Indiana State Police Recruit School. Trooper Collins is a drug recognition expert (DRE), field training officer (FTO), member of the Indiana State Police Honor Guard, certified breath test operator, and was a member of the tactical intervention platoon (TIP). Trooper Collins and Leo as a Patrol K9 team will regularly respond to calls as needed across the entire Jasper District.
During the graduation ceremony Superintendent Scott and ISP K-9 Master Trainer Sergeant Kevin Waters both presented course certificates and spoke to the troopers, families, and friends in attendance. Together they addressed the level of commitment and sacrifice required of the troopers and their families during the duration of the twelve-week course. They spoke of an extremely demanding specialty patrol assignment, one that requires a level of professional commitment more so than a typical daily schedule will accommodate. Long shifts, routine after-hours callouts that will always undoubtedly come in after an already long workday, on scheduled days off, holidays, and during special family events; not to mention the continued maintenance, care, and training for both canine and handler that is demanded from this assignment. This level of commitment will be the new norm required of the troopers and their families.
On behalf of Superintendent Scott and the entire ISP Family here at the Jasper Post, we thank Trooper Collins and his family for their commitment to this new K9 assignment, and we are very excited to welcome Leo to the Jasper District.
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