Winston Police K9 Nike Set To Retire After More Than 8 Years Of Service

WINSTON, Ore. — The Winston Police Department announced that K9 Nike, a Belgian Malinois with more than eight and a half years of service, is preparing to retire from active police work.

Nike was born Sept. 20, 2016, in the Netherlands. His commands are in Dutch, and he was originally trained in the police dog sport KNPV. He later served with Officer Cordell at the Roseburg Police Department before transferring to the Winston Police Department in 2022.

During his career, Nike assisted in tracking lost or fleeing people, searching buildings, locating hidden individuals and articles, and helping apprehend suspects. According to the department, he recorded approximately 110 career deployments and 65 captures. Some deployments focused on locating evidence or property rather than suspects. The department said Nike located multiple pieces of evidence over the years, including drugs, firearms and knives.

Nike has also appeared in the book Passing the Badge and in the booklet What Is a Police Officer? Additional book characters were based on him, and the publications helped share his story beyond the local area. The department described Nike as calm and friendly, known for enjoying attention from the public and interactions with children at community events.

He will now be considered semi retired and will no longer participate in police operations. His final day on duty is planned for March 1. After retiring from active work, Nike will serve as an ambassador for the Friends of the Umpqua Valley Police K9 Programs and assist with outreach efforts.

Ownership of Nike will transfer to his handler, K9 Officer Cordell. He will live at home with Cordell and the officer’s family.

A community retirement gathering for K9 Nike may be held Friday, March 6, from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Winston Community Center.

Chief Brandon Sarti thanked K9 Nike for his years of service to the community.