A K-9 Connection: Who’s a Good Boy?

Officer Julian Acosta joined the Pinecrest Police Department in December of 2010. He became the department’s K-9 Handler in December 2015 and looks back on his time in that role fondly.

Officer Julian Acosta with his partner Maze

His partner from December 2015 until September 2019 was a Belgian Malinois named Maze. Maze was a dual-purpose Narcotics and Suspect Apprehension dog who went through an intense 6-month training school to learn how to apprehend suspects (tackle and hold) and another 4 1/2 months of training to learn how to sniff out narcotics. Both Maze and Acosta attended weekly appointments to keep the training and accreditation current. It added up to 1000s of hours of time together. “I loved every minute of my time with my K-9”

Maze in action during training

One of the highlights of Maze’s career was in October 2017 when a routine car stop gave him the opportunity to sniff out 70lbs of marijuana that was in well-packed vacuum-sealed bags. Only Maze could detect it. That police case just concluded about six months ago and the driver of the car was eventually found to be the head of a large drug ring and was Federally indicted.

Maze was responsible for lots of narcotics busts during his career, but never got to apprehend a suspect because “Once a bad guy heard the barking,” as Acosta recalls, “they got as far away as they could.”

The day Maze retired in September 2019, the Sergeant and the crew surprised him with a well-attended ceremony filled with doggie ice cream and accolades. The party then shifted to home, where Acosta’s wife, Nicole, threw another retirement, complete with the other family dogs. Maze spent the rest of his days with Acosta, until November 3, 2022, when he passed peacefully at 9 years old.  

Officer Acosta’s wife, Nicole, throws Maze a retirement party

Life with Maze was a two-way street. Maze depended on Acosta 24/7. “He was like my son,” recalls Officer Acosta. “The bond was incredible. He would follow me everywhere and we were inseparable.” Acosta also was dependent on Maze. “After Maze was retired from the force, I would look back at the car and realize he wasn’t there anymore. It felt empty, for sure. He was a part of me.”

Maze was loyal not only to Officer Acosta, but to everyone in the department. Acosta recalls that Maze was most at home while on-duty. “He would rush into my car, flip a mental switch and be ready to work. He loved it!”

Reporting for duty, Maze

Police Chief Jason Cohen remarked, “Maze was a dedicated public servant as Officer Julian Acosta’s K-9 partner. He was a member of the Pinecrest Police family and the Acosta family. The Village thanks Maze for his service and we mourn his passing along with Julian and his family.”

Who’s a good boy? Maze was a very good boy!