Bingo, a nine-year-old Linn County Sheriff’s Office K9, is retiring after eight years of service. Bingo, a German Shepherd, joined the Sheriff’s Office in October 2016 and was partnered with Deputy Derek Steines. Bingo is a dual-purpose patrol and narcotics detection dog that was born in Holland in 2015 and was trained at Cobra K9 Kennels in Tennessee.

Bingo enjoyed a long, successful career as a law enforcement K9. He was the Linn County Sheriff’s Office “go to” K9 for public relations demonstrations because his relaxed temperament and exceptional obedience allowed him to behave very well around both adults and children. Bingo was always ready to work, but also had the ability to know when he could just be a dog, which is not always the case with working dogs.

Bingo’s law enforcement service led to multiple narcotics-related arrests and apprehensions during his career. More importantly, Bingo’s presence deterred criminal activity and protected his handler and other deputies from altercations and injury.

Bingo will be left to spend his retirement years with his handler, Deputy Derek Steines.

The Linn County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank Deputy Steines and K9 Bingo for their commitment and dedication to the citizens of Linn County and the Sheriff’s Office. We wish Bingo a well-deserved retirement.