By Jessica Brown
The Roodhouse Police Department is proud to announce an addition to their team. Mando, the soon to be K-9 officer, is currently in a 15-week training course with his partner and handler, Roodhouse Police Department Patrolman Leyton Moffitt.
Moffitt says being a police officer has always been a dream of his. “When I was young, I would spend time around my uncle, who is a former Roodhouse police officer,” he shares, adding that he wears his uncle’s badge to work every shift.
Graduating from North Greene High School in 2022, Moffitt has lived in the North Greene community his entire life. He and his wife, Grace, reside in White Hall, where his father, Jason Moffitt, and brother, Adam Moffitt, also live. His mother, Morgan Rogers, resides in Roodhouse.
“I was hired by the Roodhouse Police Department part-time in November of 2024, and in September of 2025, I was hired full time,” Leyton Moffitt shares.
Prior to that, he worked as a 911 Telecommunicator. “I am currently serving all police departments in Greene County as a part-time officer/deputy and as a part-time deputy in Calhoun County,” adding that he is also on the White Hall Fire Protection District.
Roodhouse Police Chief Kyle Robison supported Moffitt’s efforts to attain a K-9 unit. “Chief Robison allowed me to coordinate a fundraising initiative to help offset the costs of obtaining the unit,” tells Moffitt. “K-9s alone can average around $10,000.”
The extra costs can include an extra patrol car and other equipment, but Moffitt says the department already has a fully equipped K-9 patrol vehicle that was used previously. K-9 Mando was purchased strictly from funds raised from community donations, fundraising events and a USPCA K-9 grant.
Moffitt says he chose the K-9’s name from one of his favorite film franchises. Moffitt notes, “If anyone knows me, they know that I love Star Wars and that’s where the name comes from.” Short for the “Mandalorian,” Mando is a fictional male warrior and bounty hunter. The name fits, as the new K-9 officer will himself be a type of warrior and hunter.
“Mando is currently in preliminary training in narcotic detection, tracking and suspect apprehension,” Moffitt explains, adding he is training alongside K-9 Mando for the specialized training.
K-9 Mando will be replacing the department’s previous K-9 officer, Turbo, who now serves at another agency.
Moffitt says that although he doesn’t have a history of direct role in the K-9 aspect of the job, White Hall Police
Department Officer Leighton McClenning showed him the ropes.
Moffitt says he was able to observe and learn from that experience, adding that his dream of being a handler started when he was just 12 years old.
“Chief Robison was the K-9 handler at the time and he took me on my first ride-along with the canine officer at the time, Rocky,” tells Moffitt.
He emphasizes that having a K-9 unit is vital to protecting the community and its law enforcement.
“It’s extremely important to me on many aspects,” he explains, adding that the number one goal is community safety as a whole. “In a small community, resources can be hard to come by,” Moffitt says. Having a K-9 unit at the ready to detect illegal narcotics, track suspects and missing persons, or apprehend dangerous persons is something he will take pride in.
Moffitt is most looking forward to serving in a fuller capacity, as he has been participating in public service most of his life.
“Being blessed with this opportunity has shown how much faith my community and my family have put into me, and I will not take that for granted,” finishes Moffitt.
