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Photo courtesy of Westwood Police Officer Casey Collier. K9 Scout graduated with his handler, Officer Collier, from Boston Police Canine Academy in July. Together, they have joined the staff of Westwood Police Department.
8-03-2025 12:54am
Meet Your Westwood Neighbor: K9 Scout and His Handler, Officer Collier
Darlene Cancell
Editor
Westwood Police Department has recently gained a new active member with a specialty in bomb detection and search and rescue. . . . and he just turned two years old in June. Scratching your head over how that can be? Meet K9 Scout, a black Labrador retriever.
Along with handler Officer Casey Collier, Scout graduated from the Boston Police Department Canine Academy on July 4th. Officer Collier and Scout began training together in January, and began active duty together with Westwood Police Department on July 20th. It’s been a streamlined onboarding to their new jobs. Officer Collier was selected for K9 position on Tuesday, January 21st, met Scout on Friday, January 24th, and their first training class together started Monday, January 27th.
“We’re happy to have a working dog since Duke’s retiring,” said Westwood Police Lieutenant Michael DiLalla, referencing Scout’s German shepherd predecessor who retired to the home of his handler in 2022, after about six years of service. “We’ve had a lot of success with the K9 protection,” he says.
Photo courtesy of Westwood Police Officer Casey Collier. K9 Scout graduated from the Boston Police Department Canine Academy in July this year.Scout’s role within Westwood PD is different from Duke’s, in that Scout is a “friendly find lab,” which Officer Collier describes as a new style of police dog. In contrast to Duke, who was a bite dog, trained to apprehend criminals, Scout is a “dual purpose K9,” whose work and training involves explosives and firearms detection and patrol, which is “friendly find” tracking of lost children, the elderly, autistic individuals, and those suffering from dementia, along with evidence recovery.
While Duke was trained to bite if needed, Scout has not been trained to defend himself. It may be even more important for him that he will be receiving a donated bullet-proof and stab-proof vest from a vendor, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., which notes that its vests are potentially lifesaving.
“Most calls hopefully won’t put you in that position,” says Officer Collier. But when needed, he says the vest will protect Scout from most handgun rounds, knives and other sharp objects like a screw driver. It will also protect him from injury from brush while tracking in the woods.
When Scout receives the vest in about ten weeks, it will be his first time wearing one. He’s never worn one in training, says Officer Collier. But Scout’s work ethic may serve him well in closing the gap on experience.
Officer Collier calls Scout “unique” referencing the dog’s very high drive. “He doesn’t lounge around and watch TV," says Officer Collier. “He’s not your typical black lab. He’s energetic, motivated to work all the time, motivated for a reward. He’s also friendly. He’s the best of both worlds.”
Photo courtesy of Westwood Police Officer Casey Collier. Westwood Police Department K9 Scout is trained in bomb and firearms detection, "friendly find" tracking, and evidence recovery.Scout’s current rewards are kibble and a plush tug toy, says Officer Collier.
Residents eager for a look at Westwood’s new K9 unit may see them in the afternoon for a demonstration at upcoming Westwood Day, although plans still need to be ironed out. They will also be performing typical police work together, such as traffic stops and responding to 911 calls. Together, they have already provided aid at the Boston Marathon and could be called to work in settings such as at Gillette Stadium. In the future, with more hires, they may do more K9 focused work, says Officer Collier.
Thanks to Westwood Police Lieutenant Michael DiLalla and Officer Casey Collier for contributing information for this Westwood Minute article.
Updated August 3, 2025 at 1:55 p.m.
