The Arizona Daily Star

Published: 12.14.2006

Names of DPS dogs now honor memory of fallen officers
By Alexis Huicochea
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
When Arizona Department of Public Safety Officer Brian Greene decided to name his new K-9 Rebel, he did it for two reasons:
It's a great name for a dog, but more importantly, it's a great way to honor a fellow officer killed in the line of duty nearly two decades ago.
This past spring, the DPS began a new tradition of naming its dogs after fallen officers to honor the sacrifices those officers made, said Lt. Joe Leos, the K-9 district commander.
On Wednesday, Rebel was given a bulletproof vest by his namesake's widow.
"It's nice to think that Ed Rebel will be back on the road again," said Jacquie Rebel, wife of Officer Edward Rebel.
Jacquie insisted on paying for the vest, which cost $850, because it is important to her that Rebel is properly protected.
Her husband, a 24-year-veteran, was killed in 1988 on Interstate 10 near Marana while trying to arrest a man wanted in connection with a car-theft ring, according to a DPS news release. Despite being wounded, Rebel was able to fire several shots and kill the suspect.
The dog is one of 22 dogs on the DPS force in Arizona, Leos said. Nineteen are trained to detect drugs and catch suspects, while the other three are trained to detect explosives.
This year, the dogs have aided in the seizure of 16 tons of marijuana, 7 pounds of heroin, 763 pounds of cocaine, 84 pounds of methamphetamines and several million dollars in cash, Leos said.
All of the dogs have vests thanks to donations from various sources including the Protect Police K-9 organization, a nonprofit that was started by 15-year-old Michael A. Valdez — a sophomore at Tucson High.
● Contact reporter Alexis Huicochea at 629-9412 or ahuicochea@azstarnet.com.

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