JACKSON, Wyo. — A former Jackson Police Department Officer (JPD) is fighting Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and is in need of support.
Alan Jensen worked as a Jackson Police Department Officer from 1984 to 2014 and is responsible for expanding the K-9 unit in Jackson, creating the state standards for K-9 units and creating the Wyoming Police Service Dog Association, which certifies instructors and dogs across the state. He was also a certified emergency vehicle operations instructor and taught those skills to the department for several years and was a member of the JPD S.W.A.T team for a portion of his career.
Ever wonder who designed JPD decals? That was also Jensen.
His daughter Kendra David spoke with Buckrail via email about her father’s career with JPD, his passion for dogs and his experience training, competing and working with countless dogs across his career.
David grew up getting to ride along with her dad, visiting the police station and getting spoiled with candy and treats from the dispatchers.
“I can speak for my brother and myself when I say that these times spent with Alan and the other Police and Sheriffs Deputies are without a doubt, some of our most cherished life memories,” David said. “We highly value this special time that we were able to have with Alan more than words can explain. It was like one big and very special family that Alan ensured we were able to be included in.”
Jensen was introduced to the K-9 unit while working at Modesto Police Department in California and was quickly promoted to the trainer of the K-9 unit. When he joined JPD, he brought the second dog he trained for police work, Bear #2. In 1989 he attended the Alabama Canine Training Law Enforcement Center (ACLETC), the most stringent instructor school at the time and earned his Canine Instructor Certificate. Along with fellow officer and instructor at ACLETC, Randy Parker, Jensen put together the Wyoming state standards for k-9 units, which are still used today. Over the course of his career, Jensen had four K-9 partners he trained and handled; Bear #1, Bear #2, Fredz and Vito.
David says her father lives by the phrase, “Actions speak louder than words.”
“He feels fulfilled if he can contribute to the betterment of society in some way,” she said. “Alan just really likes to help, even if he isn’t always consciously aware of that desire in himself much, I recognize it, and it is obvious to those who know him.”
Following retirement, Jensen spent time with his retirement dog Oden, a Dutch shepherd, worked on various projects — like designing and building a hydraulic snowblower system for his Kubota L6060 tractor — and “has always been a phone call away at any moment,” David said.
In June he was diagnosed with AML and spent six weeks at Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City, David said. He underwent consolidation chemotherapy and is currently looking for a stem cell transplant match. Following the stem cell transplant, Jensen will be required to live within 30 minutes of Huntsman for two to three months while he recovers.
Living off limited retirement, Jensen’s medical bills are stacking up and relocating to the Salt Lake area is creating a financial barrier for his care. David explained that she started a GoFundMe for her father, to help raise funds for the care following the stem cell transplant. David’s daughter has had medical issues since she was born, further limiting David’s ability to financially support her father. “Neither Alan nor my little family can fully afford any of these options,” David said.
David’s goal is to raise $20,000 to help her father rent a space that will fit his needs near Huntsman while he recovers from the stem cell transplant.
