Name Chosen For Carroll County's Newest K9 Cop

WESTMINSTER, Md. (WJZ) -- A name has finally been chosen for Carroll County's newest K9 cop.

Meet Katie Justia Pinkerton Star. The bloodhound just graduated from a 10-week long training class.

Katie will be tasked with searching for critical missing persons, criminals who have fled police, prison escapees and assisting investigators in developing potential leads in criminal cases.

You might remember--the Carroll County Sheriff's Office asked for help naming the patrol dog.

"Katie" is for Kate Warne, recognized as the first female detective in the United States. "Justia" is a reference to justice. "Pinkerton" is for Allan Pinkerton, the first Chicago Police Detective, who in 1850 formed the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, which was dedicated to assisting law enforcement with arresting criminals. The name "Pinkerton" will often be shortened to the nickname "Pinky", which was the original name provided by the breeder. And finally, "Star", standing for Show respect, Take pride, Act responsibly, and Ready to learn, which was suggested by Ms. Flander's first grade class at Elmer Wolfe Elementary School.

The sheriff officially welcomed Katie with a swearing in ceremony Thursday. She is the first bloodhound the agency has ever had.

"Katie is cute and loves a lot of attention, but when it's time to track, her nose hits the ground with her tail in the air and she's all business" said Carroll County Sheriff Jim DeWees.

The sheriff's office would like to thank everyone who took the time to suggest names.