Earlier this week Bristol welcomed the youngest, smallest and by far cutest officer in the history of the town’s police force.

Brody, a 10-week-old chocolate labrador retriever, was formally inducted as the Bristol Police Department’s first K-9 officer on Monday morning, in a brief ceremony inside the office of Police Chief Kevin Lynch. Brody showed no nerves, as he slept atop the chief’s desk through most of the ceremony, which included his new partner, School Resource Officer Keith Medeiros, raising his right hand and taking Brody’s oath of office.

Cute as he is, Brody has an important assignment, and his arrival in Bristol is a big deal for the department.

In remarks that were live-streamed on the department’s Facebook page, Chief Lynch said that before he was hired in Bristol, he developed a 90-day plan for things he would bring to the department. One was introduction of a canine officer. Though he missed the 90-day goal by just a few weeks, the chief was elated to welcome the town’s newest officer on Monday.

“When I saw all of the tenets of this program, and all of the research that Officer Medeiros had done about the benefits of a comfort and therapy dog, I knew we had a winning formula for the town,” Chief Lynch said. “I’m extremely proud. This is a very big day for the Bristol Police Department.”

Looking down at the puppy sprawled on his desk, the chief added, “And as soon as Brody wakes up, and everyone goes back to school, we will have a lot of successes ahead. He is going to be a superstar in the Town of Bristol, I guarantee it.”

A comfort/therapy dog

As school resource officer, Officer Medeiros spends much of his time at Mt. Hope High School, but his beat includes all of the schools in Bristol. He sees great opportunities for Brody — who was named for Bristol ‘B’ and Rhode Island ‘Rhody’ — to make a difference in the lives of young people.

“He is now my partner,” Officer Medeiros said. “He will be with me every day in schools. We plan on using him in the senior center, the veterans’ home, at Roger Williams University, and at whatever community events we have.”

Brody’s K-9 training is being somewhat interrupted by the restrictions of the coronavirus, as he cannot interact with as many people as he typically would. “The more interactions he has, and the more people he sees, the better,” said Officer Medeiros.

So far, Brody has been interacting a lot with the crew inside Officer Medeiros’ house (yes, these partners live together), a group that includes his wife, teen daughter and family dog, as well as kids in their neighborhood.

Formal training soon

He’s still too young to begin his formal training, as that begins at 16 weeks, and will be conducted by the business Petrichor K9 and owner Jessica Geast. In addition, Brody and Officer Medeiros will be making monthly trips back to his original home, Boonefield Labradors in southern New Hampshire, where they breed labs and place many of them as comfort/therapy dogs in police departments, hospitals, nursing homes, etc. After a year, if he passes all the tests, Brody will become a certified comfort/therapy dog. His father, “Rookie,” is a comfort/therapy dog with the Hancock, N.H., police department.

Dogs like Rookie and Brody are trained to be welcoming, friendly and accepting of all human contact. More approachable and less intimidating than a police officer, they are calm, relaxing creatures, welcoming of hugs and petting — in a word, comforting.

Officer Medeiros sees both a need and an opportunity for Brody to make a difference in the public schools.

“We don’t talk enough about mental health issues in the schools. Brody will be an integral part, for kids that are in crisis, in calming them down and bringing them back to a level where they can perform in school,” Officer Medeiros said. “I think every school has those situations, especially the high school, and I hope that he’s going to be able to bring those kids back to a level where they can get back in the classroom and learn. That’s a huge part of his duties and job as a therapy dog.”

A community effort

Chief Lynch and Officer Medeiros were both appreciative of many in the community who supported the effort to bring Brody to Bristol. At the top of the list are Bristol Elks Lodge 1860 and Woof Woof Pet Boutique and Biscuit Bar, both of which have contributed or will continue contributing to the cost and care of Brody. Joining them is Harbor Animal Hospital and Dr. Wade Cordy.

“I am elated at the support we’ve gotten from the community,” Chief Lynch said.

While the coronavirus keeps school buildings closed and quarantines most people at home, Brody’s introduction to his soon-to-be biggest fans is mostly on hold.

“I know the kids are home, and they’re looking forward to their return to school, and I know Brody and Officer Medeiros can’t wait to meet all of our school children,” the chief said.

Where to ‘find’ Brody

Though the coronavirus is keeping Brody mostly away from the public eye, people can still follow the town’s newest police officer at:

• Instagram: @bpdk9brody
• Facebook: @Bpd Brody