Dogs may be man’s best friend, but there is one thing K9s Santi and Joker are more dedicated to than their police handlers: the mission.
“These K9s are committed to keeping the community at Kennesaw State a safe place to live, work and learn,” said Sgt. Teddy Setser. “They always get excited to work.”
Like most dogs, Santi and Joker still enjoy high-pitched, “good boy” words of affirmation, toys, and ear scratches. But unlike the average pup, they are trained members of the Kennesaw State Police Department (KSUPD) and can sniff out nearly 30 different odors associated with explosives.
Joker, a German shepherd and Belgian Malinois mix, is the newest addition to KSUPD K9 unit. Santi, a Belgian Malinois, has been a member of the unit since 2017. Both are deployed with their handlers before large gatherings at the University.
“Being a K9 handler is one of the most rewarding positions that a police officer can have,” Setser, who has been paired with Santi since the K9 joined the force, said. “It’s also one that requires a lot of time and commitment.”
Before they can become official members of the KSUPD, each handler and K9 complete hundreds of hours of training. Cpl. Malik Letatau and Joker became a team in September of 2022, spent about a month in a bonding period, then attended a 12-week, 480-hour handler course in Monroe County. During that time, Joker learned how to search buildings, vehicles, luggage items and open areas. In March, the pair finished a 200-hour handler course in Hall County through the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency and are now completely certified.
“We have a great bond,” said Letatau, a KSU alumnus who is new to the K9 unit but has been a member of the KSUPD since 2017. “Every day I’m impressed by how smart Joker is and how well he does his job.”
In addition to events at the University, the K9 unit works around the metro Atlanta area thanks to KSUPD’s partnership with other local agencies. In the past few years, KSUPD’s K9s worked at the World Series games at Truist Park and Superbowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The handlers could also get a call at any time for a suspicious package or bomb threat, which is why it’s so important to keep up with training.
In addition to certification training, the K9 unit trains locally every day. Sometimes training happens in Fifth Third Bank Stadium; other times the unit goes to used car lots and practices with explosive decoys.
“It’s a full-circle moment for me,” said Letatau, who was a member of the Kennesaw State football team from 2015-2016 and graduated with his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice in 2017. During his time as a student-athlete, Letatau interned under the former K9 unit sergeant, Todd Jackson, which sparked his interest in joining the KSUPD.
“I'm super thankful to be here and work with Joker,” he said. “He's the best partner anybody could ask for.”
The entire KSUPD, which runs 365 days a year and 24 hours a day, is made up of more than 50 police officers patrolling the Kennesaw and Marietta campuses. After a shift is over, the K9s go home with their respective handlers, who love and care for them.
“There is no bond quite like the bond shared between K9s and handlers,” Setser said. “I can’t have a bad day when Santi is by my side. He has been nothing but loyal to me since Day 1, and it’s an honor to be his partner.”
© 2026 Kennesaw State University
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