Mapleton Police Officer Rebekah Hatch was raised in Genola, Utah, a nearby rural community in Utah County.
Serve Daily recently had an opportunity to chat with Officer Hatch and to discover more about her and her canine partner in law enforcement, NYX.
Officer Hatch has been a police officer for about four years and NYX is newly-certified in a number of skills as of December 2023. It’s impressive to realize that NYX already has a number of arrests credited to her skills in drug detection.
It seems to be a fairly common thing, but swing shifts for police officers appear to be a favorite due to the variety of calls and the opportunity for service to the community in various ways – Officer Hatch is no different.
Although NYX is relatively young, being less than two years old, she is ready and willing to go to work anytime and offer her unique services to the community as well.
Whenever Officer Hatch and NYX are invited to meet with local children, NYX is the star attraction, as they love watching her demonstrate her talents and agility as a member of the Mapleton Police Department.
NYX is a Belgian Malinois, which a favorite breed of choice for police and military work due to their intense drive, focus, agility, and smaller size than a German Shepherd. Their amazing bite strength can be as much as 195 pounds per square inch of force.
NYX is multilingual, understanding and responding to commands in multiple languages, including English.
When asked, Officer Hatch said she was, in part, selected to be a dog handler for the police department due to her personal interest in working with dogs.
NYX is currently in training to earn more certifications and the intensity of her duties can readily be seen in her demeanor, especially her eyes.
NYX travels with Officer Hatch while on duty, but has her own area within the police station that houses her crate, gear, and other training items.
According to John Jackson, Mapleton’s Police Chief and Public Safety Director, NYX has been included in the Mapleton Police Department’s family as a result of a few generous citizens that have privately donated their personal resources for the benefit of the entire community.
When out and about in the Mapleton area, keep your eye out for Officer Hatch and NYX. They are out there giving their all to the citizens of Mapleton, day and night.
