Columbus police have welcomed a new canine to the force, named for a villain in the ongoing adventures of Batman in Gotham City.
The new police canine, Bane, is a 2-year-old German Shepherd born in Poland.
Bane has been trained to sniff out narcotics and apprehend suspects, according to police. Bane and his handler, Officer Marcus Clark, were involved with nine drug arrests during Bane’s first two days on the job, said Lt. Matt Harris, Columbus Police Department spokesman.
“I have always been passionate about dogs and one of my goals at the police department was to become a canine handler,” said Clark, who also is a DARE officer, in a statement. “I am looking forward to working with Bane and helping keep dangerous drugs off of our streets.”
The name “Bane” comes from the Batman comic book and movie franchise — Bane is the name of the bad guy who is intent on destroying Gotham in the “Dark Knight Rises,” film. According to the Cambridge English dictionary, the word “bane” means “something that is particularly effective in causing you trouble or worry.”
Bane, who is 2 years old, is expected to grow to more than 100 pounds, another reason for selecting the name of a comic book villain, Harris said.
All of the police canines selected for the department have a high drive to work, something in the blood lines of dogs who are obtained overseas, Harris said. Each of the dogs is taken to a veterinarian before being selected to check for any medical issues before being cleared as a police canine, he said.
Bane and Clark completed a six-week training course at the Ventosa Kennel in Scotland Neck, N.C.
Bane replaces K-9 Max, who retired last year. Currently, CPD has two other police canines, Argo and Oxs.
