The UF Police Department welcomed a new four-legged detective — and his name is Maverick.
A black labrador retriever, Maverick joins three other furry officers at UFPD, older colleagues Libby, Beto and Bailey.
Maverick and his handler, UFPD law enforcement officer Jenna Cuevo, will work as a team to protect UF students by examining spaces like the O’Connell Center to ensure they are safe before events happen. Cuevo’s four-legged partner gives “110%’’ every day, she said.
“He has a lot of energy,” Cuevo said. “He’s just so happy to be here.”
At one and a half years old, Maverick is the youngest dog the department has ever had. He will serve UF by inspecting campus before large events to ensure public safety.
Dogs have about 220 olfactory receptors, and the mucus covering them allows the canines to pick up the subtlest scents of chemicals. They can be trained to identify illegal explosives, narcotics and flammable substances.
When the dogs detect an explosive, handlers like Cuevo look for a change in the dog’s behavior — often barking or scratching. Once the officer is alerted, they take the necessary next steps to mitigate the situation.
To qualify for a spot in UFPD, Cuevo said dogs must go through a screening process in which the department observes whether a dog is able to stay alert in spaces such as the Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Dogs must also be able to adapt quickly to new areas, she added, and if they seem hesitant in an unfamiliar environment, they might be deemed unfit.
Before working in the K-9 unit, officers are required to go through training as well.
Cuevo graduated from UF in 2024 with a bachelor of arts in criminology, where she worked part time as a fleet assistant for UFPD, helping organize schedules and repairs for the department’s vehicles.
The experience helped her land a full time position at UFPD, where she decided to apply as a canine handler after observing a dog’s training, she said.
“When the opportunity arose, I couldn’t not jump on it,” she said, noting how she’s always wanted a dog.
Cuevo said the best part about working with Maverick is getting to show up to work with him each day. Maverick lives with Cuevo, and he whines with excitement when she puts on her belt, she said. He only wants to serve his community, Cuevo said.
“I kind of tell people that this is his Disney World,’’ she said.
Maverick took over Ruff’s tenure, who retired two months ago after seven years of service. Terrel Williams, a former K-9 development handler for UFPD, worked with the black labrador. He said he enjoyed his experience because he felt like he was going to work everyday with his best friend.
Williams compared the workload shift to human retirement.
“You don’t want to work yourself every single day until you die, right?” he said. “So, a dog shouldn’t have a life like that either.”
UFPD’s handlers aren’t the only ones who get to interact with the dogs.
Kailey Tedjeske, UFPD’s public relations officer, said she loves playing fetch with the dogs and feeding them “pupcorn” treats.
The dogs become part of the UFPD family, she said, and are treated with the same respect as other employees. They all serve the same purpose, she added: to keep UF safe.
“Even though they have four legs and two ears, they’re still an officer,” Tedjeske said.
Contact Alana Nguyen at anguyen@alligator.org. Follow her on X at @Alana_Nguyen12.
Alana Nguyen is a first-year journalism major at the University of Florida. She is a General Assignment writer for The Alligator. When she's not writing, she enjoys running and reading travel magazines.
