SUPERIOR — The city's youngest law enforcement officer was obsessed with his Kong toy on Thursday, Nov. 2. He's already destroyed three of the supposedly indestructible chew toys, according to his partner, officer Charlie Mahlen, and munched happily on the current one during a photo shoot in the Government Center atrium.
Atlas, who turns 2 at the end of the month, is a 60-pound K-9 officer with boundless energy, drool to spare and intelligent brown eyes. When the main doors to the building opened Thursday, Atlas stopped playing and tuned in. He turned his gaze and watched intently as people walked through the atrium and up the stairs. Then, almost like a switch was thrown, it was playtime again.
Part Belgian Malinois, part German shepherd, the canine is the best of both worlds, Mahlen said.
“A shepherd is thoughtful, you know, thinks through things, and a Malinois — if you have full Malinois they are completely fearless dogs that are just entirely full-throttle all the time,” said Mahlen, a six-year veteran of the police department.
The pair met in November 2022 and spent four months training together in the Twin Cities.
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“He’s still very much a puppy, like, he’s a goofball,” Mahlen said. “He’s very good at his job and he’s very intelligent in his work time, but he’s still … you’ll see.”
Atlas is trained in narcotics, tracking, apprehension and handler protection. One of the new capabilities he brings to the department is the ability to detect fentanyl. The bulk of the team’s work in Superior to date has been odor work on vehicles.
Mahlen, who grew up in Danbury and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Superior with a degree in criminal justice, was inspired to become a K-9 officer after seeing the bond between fellow officer Jeff Harriman and his K-9 partner, Lacka . Harriman is now a sergeant and Lacka is retired. Mahlen and Atlas are currently using their former squad car.
“I saw how Harriman was with the dog and kind of what it was like to have that bond and relationship and the camaraderie it brings to the crew,” Mahlen said. “I worked with Jeff when I was brand new, and I thought it was awesome.”
Superior Police Chief Nicholas Alexander said Mahlen was a great choice to partner with Atlas.
“A K-9 handler needs to possess the extra knowledge on search and seizure, rules regarding the use and deployment of the K-9, and willingness to work shifts that best meet the needs of the department. Officer Mahlen possesses that knowledge and has always handled stressful situations with a calm demeanor,” Alexander said.
K-9s add to the safety of officers and increase department capabilities, the chief said.
“They aid in the apprehension of criminals, location of evidence and search-and-rescue operations,” he said. “Additionally, they are great ambassadors to the community and have helped build relationships and start dialogue between the police and the public.”
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Working with Atlas has been a pleasant surprise for Mahlen, who said he’s not naturally outgoing.
“The level of, I think the community support and engagement for the dog, to me, is way more than I thought it was gonna be, and I enjoyed it more than I thought I was going to,” the officer said.
Mahlen said his proudest moment with Atlas was the first time the K-9 had an odor hit on a vehicle, seeing that goofball pup working as a functional dog doing his job. A field training officer for the department, Mahlen said he’s felt pride seeing officers he’s trained doing a good job.
“It’s so much more with a dog,” he said.
The department’s K-9 program has been the recipient of support from the Amsoil Northland Law Enforcement K9 Foundation and contributions from citizens. With K-9 Atlas, Cenovus Energy contacted the department directly and offered to fully fund the cost of the dog, training, officer hours, travel cost and equipment.
“This was over a $50,000 donation to our program which is unprecedented,” Alexander said. “ I actually teared up when they met with me to discuss their gift. In recent years, a lot of people and companies have been hesitant to publicly support the police so this gift had extra meaning for our department and is certainly a great example of corporate citizenship.”
With two working K-9 units, Mahlen and Atlas and officer Tyler Rude and Radik, the department is now eyeing the addition of a therapy dog. Alexander said they expect to get the dog in the spring.
“Instead of adding another patrol K-9, we wanted to find an option that expanded our capabilities, contributed to our mission and values, and advanced community relations,” the chief said. “Therapy dogs do exactly that and we are aware of the successes in many other departments. We expect the therapy dog to work closely with our coordinated response specialist program.
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"The dog will be a great asset when dealing with disadvantaged populations, children and victims of crime.”
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