The Indiana State Police is saddened to announce the death of 12 year old retired canine Camo. Friday morning, November 24th, Camo was euthanized after a lengthy battle with Degenerative Myelopathy. District Commander Lt. Jeff Payne stated, "I am deeply saddened by the death of Camo, he was an invaluable asset to our district for nearly 10 years. He undoubtedly saved lives and made our communities safer. He will be greatly missed."
The Indiana State Police K9 program has a steep tradition stretching back to 1938 when with the first dog, a bloodhound named Brutus, began patrolling statewide. In June of 2007 another canine began his career with the state police, 2 year old German Shepherd named Camo. Early in his career Camo, along with his partner Master Trooper Greg Magee, spent time patrolling the Indianapolis District assisting with drug searches, human tracking, evidence searches and assisting with other police activities.
In 2009, in addition to his patrol duties, Camo was assigned part-time to the Indiana State Police SWAT team, where he was called to nearly every SWAT situation. Camo quickly earned the utmost confidence and respect from the SWAT members and in 2016 he became the first state police canine assigned full-time to a SWAT team. He continued to work diligently and since 2013 had responded to more than 450 SWAT calls. Camo has set the bar and laid the groundwork for future SWAT Canine Teams.
During his 10 year career Camo is responsible for finding thousands of pounds of narcotics, millions of dollars in drug money and taking criminals off the streets. In one investigation Camo located 27 Kilos of cocaine, in another he found over 2000 pounds of marijuana and his largest single cash seizure in a single incident was over $2,000,000.
Master Trooper Greg Magee remembers Camo as a hard working, driven, loyal partner. He said "Camo was more than a canine, he was family. I knew I could always count on him to cover my back and to be there when I needed him. He loved going to work everyday and each time he heard my police car start his excitement was exuberant. I will hold the memory of Camo deeply in my heart and feel so fortunate to have been his partner for more than 10 years."
