Mundelein Police Canine Titan retired this week after serving nearly seven years on the department where he conducted over 60 successful tracks and helped recover illegal guns and drugs.
Titan officially retired at the Mundelein Village Board of Trustees meeting on Monday.
Mayor Steve Lentz issued a mayoral proclamation honoring Titan, who was the department’s first canine since 1970.
Lentz said that Titan was born on August 10, 2013, and began his first shift with the Mundelein Police Department on June 15, 2015, after completing 380 hours of initial training at TOPS in Grayslake.
Titan was certified in narcotics detection, obedience, building and area searches, article searches, obstacle course maneuvers, tracking and handler protections.
Titan’s handler, Mundelein Police Department Sgt. Steven Kroll, purchased Titan from the village for $1 during Monday’s board meeting. Titan will be Kroll’s family’s pet.
“The introduction of Titan to the community created a sense of pride in the community and strengthened the relationship between citizens and the Police Department,” Lentz said.
Titan participated in over 60 tracks which led to the successful recovery of evidence, suspects, victims and subjects with mental health conditions in need of assistance.
During the Polar Vortex in 2019, a victim of a crime had walked away from their residence with minimal clothing when the temperature was -20. Titan successfully located the subject.
Lentz said that another notable track conducted by Titan was when he helped locate a person with mental illness who had committed a crime and fled to a wooded area.
Titan participated in over 100 canine demonstrations throughout Lake County during his career.
His deployments also led to the confiscation of over 40 illegal guns, 600 illegal pharmaceutical pills, 460 grams of cocaine, 144 grams of methamphetamine, 87 grams of heroin, 10,000 grams of cannabis products and other various drugs.
“Thanks to K-9 Titan’s dedication to duty and expertise over his career, the Mundelein Police Department has been greatly assisted in accomplishing its mission and living up to its core values of integrity, pride, and quality of service,” Lentz said in his proclamation.
Titan was retired because his handler was recently promoted to sergeant.
Titan would likely have retired anyway within the next 18 months because of his age, Kroll said in a letter to Mundelein Police Chief John Monahan last month.