Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ

New K-9 officer joins campus police force

November 17, 2022
Rex, a 2-year-old German Shepherd-Belgian Malinois mix K-9, joined the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Police force in October. He's shown here with his handler, Officer Dustin Singleton, at Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Public Safety headquarters in Dahlonega.

Article By: Denise Ray

The newest member of the University of North Georgia (Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ) Police Department has been described as "sweet, loves everyone and wants to work all the time" by his partner, Officer Dustin Singleton.

Rex, a 2-year-old German Shepherd-Belgian Malinois mix K-9, joined the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Police force in October. 

"He's a sergeant," Singleton said. "He outranks me."

Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ partnered with the Georgia Emergency Management Association (GEMA) to get the K-9 officer, and Rex will train alongside the Hall County Sheriff's Office's K-9 officers.

"The dog was acquired through GEMA at no cost to the university," Greg Williams, Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Police chief, said. "His certification and ongoing certification will also not cost Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ anything."

He works for the university. Student safety is his first priority.

Dustin Singleton

Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Police Officer

Deputy Scott Lord with Hall County and Tod Keys, exercise program director for GEMA/Homeland Security, helped Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ in procuring Rex.

"I'm grateful for their support," Singleton said.

Within the first week of arriving on campus, Rex and Singleton were adjusting to one another and their new duties, touring campuses, getting to know students, and meeting Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ President Bonita Jacobs, an experience Singleton described as "awesome."

"He works for the university. Student safety is his first priority," Singleton said. "As soon as he's in the patrol car, he knows he's on duty."

The pair underwent weeks of explosive device training including Jekyll Island and the Georgia Capitol.

"We'll be searching for bombs on boats. I cannot wait. After that we'll be at the Georgia Capitol searching for bombs in the governor's office," Singleton said.

Rex will search the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Convocation Center prior to major events. The pair of Rex and Singleton will work throughout the state, including Mercedes-Benz Stadium doing pre-concert explosive detection.

"We wanted to have a dog that would be friendly around students. That's the top priority," Singleton said. "Also, every commencement we pay for someone to come in and do a bomb search of the Convocation Center. Instead of having to call people, we now have our own team, which makes it easier. We're getting to be the same size as larger units, so we want to make sure we're keeping up."


AGENT Initiative offers cyber education tools

AGENT Initiative offers cyber education tools

Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ hosted its fifth annual Advancing GenCyber Education for North Georgia Teachers Initiative from June 2-6 to help 24 middle and high school teachers learn ways of teaching cybersecurity.
Hardee, Williams part of USG leadership program

Hardee, Williams part of USG leadership program

Dr. Sheri Hardee and Greg Williams were part of the University System of Georgia's 2024-25 Executive Leadership Institute cohort.
Book published by Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Press earns award

Book published by Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Press earns award

A book published by the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Press earned the second-place grand prize for non-fiction in the 2025 Next Generation Indie Book Awards.
Cyber students make strong showings

Cyber students make strong showings

Cybersecurity students from Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ turned in strong performances in the National Cyber League, National Cyber Exercise and SummitCTF during the spring semester.