Minnesota Capitol gets new security K-9
The latest effort to enhance security in and around the state Capitol is a bomb-sniffing dog named “Matka.”
Lt. Gov. Tina Smith and Minnesota State Patrol troopers assigned to the Capitol security detail introduced their new, K-9 colleague Wednesday during a news conference.
“I have never met a dog that I didn’t love, but this dog is a special dog,” Smith said. “There is a special responsibility to keep this place safe, and that is what this amazing dog is going to do help us do going forward.”
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The State Patrol currently has 12 K-9s. But Capt. Eric Roeske, director of Capitol security, said Matka is the only one assigned exclusively to the Capitol and the only one trained for explosives detection.
Roeske said the K-9 and her handler will patrol the buildings and respond to incidents such as an unattended bag.
"Matka is another layer of security that we’ll be providing here at the Capitol for the people that work, visit and do their business here,” Roeske said.
Matka is a Hungarian vizsla.
Her handler is Trooper Kaj Meinhardt.