For BI K-9 officer, policing is more than enforcing the law

Published 1:30 am Thursday, April 23, 2026

If you live on Bainbridge Island, you know Zach Burnham. You may know him as officer Zach if you’ve been pulled over for speeding to catch the ferry. Or, you may know him as coach Zach if you play girls’ basketball at Bainbridge High School. Some of you may even know him from his K-9 partner, Whitney, a bloodhound who has gone quite viral recently for her sweet nature and exceptional skills at the Bainbridge Island Police Department.

Burnham started with BIPD in 2019, and in 2020, officer Whitney became his partner-in-“stopping”-crime. Burnham also became BIPD’s community resource officer in 2022. To understand Burnham’s journey to the island, it helps to start at the beginning.

Where it began

Burnham is originally from Iowa, but moved to Baltimore to play Division I basketball at Coppin State University. “Basketball took me out of Iowa,” he said. “I grew up with some family struggles, but basketball has always taught me many different lessons in life. It has taught me a lot about adversity, staying the course, and sticking it out.”

He met his wife at Coppin State before transferring to Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, where he completed his collegiate career. Shortly after, Burnham and his family moved to Georgia, where he began his career in law enforcement.

Burnham worked just outside of Atlanta, in Roswell. After protests and riots swept the nation with a large anti-police movement, Burnham began to feel his calling coming to life. “I know there’s a lot of good people out there, especially in law enforcement. I wanted to join them rather than point a finger. Plus, I married into a law enforcement family,” he said.

However, burnout occupied his life, and in a desire to better support his wife and child, Burnham decided to move to the Pacific Northwest, where he already had some family residing. “I was officer Burnham down in Georgia. I felt like I had to be so serious all the time in that setting,” he said. “It was great. It taught me how to be safe, but I just wanted to be Zach. Here, it’s great going around town and seeing people who know me as Zach. I want to be approachable.”

There was a job opening at BIPD, and everything began to fall into place for Burnham. “A lot of prayer and understanding my purpose has gotten me to where I am now; my faith guided me,” he said. A few weeks had passed for Burnham before he received an email asking if he was still interested in the position. “It felt personal, not automated,” he said. “I was extremely blessed.”

After visiting the island, Burnham fell in love, especially once he rode the ferry. He met officer Whitney for the first time and did a ride-along. It wasn’t long before a Bainbridge Islander had informed the department that they were interested in renting out their home to law enforcement, and Burnham knew becoming a part of BIPD was meant for him. That sense of purpose didn’t just bring Burnham to BIPD; it shaped the way he would go on to serve it.

Serving the community

A year later, Burnham got the K-9 position when BIPD officer Kurt Enget passed away in April 2020, and in 2022, he also became community resource officer. With the CRO position, Burnham and Whitney attend schools, senior centers, and other community events to build relationships and inform others about what the police department does. Every year, Burnham makes a goal to visit every school on the island. “It can be intimidating when I’m walking up there, being 6’5”, 240 pounds with my badge and uniform,” he said. “Bringing Whitney helps; she’s cute and has floppy ears, so she’s a lot less intimidating. But being invested in your community is the most important thing.”

Whitney has become a sensation not just with the senior center or schools, but also online. “A couple years ago, I got bored one day and decided to hop on TikTok, and I just started posting videos,” said Burnham. In three weeks, the duo had 100,000 followers, which has since grown to around 200,000. “It’s been really cool to be able to use Whitney in a really positive light,” he said. “People will reach out to me from other countries. Someone even recognized Whitney and I at the airport.”

Not only is Burnham’s partner everyone’s favorite canine influencer, but she is also skilled in her police work. Her specialty is search and rescue, and she helps Burnham to find those with Alzheimer’s, special needs, elopers, or missing persons. While the average human has 5 million scent receptors in their nose, bloodhounds have 300 million, Burnham shared.

When responding to a call, Burnham will ask for the last known location and start there. “I get an article that smells just like the person and put it in a plastic bag. I then put a vest on Whitney and a long leash. I put that bag up to her nose, and I tell her to check it,” he said. Once Burnham tells her “go”, Whitney runs off while the officer has to keep up behind her.

“I can’t really go anywhere without her; she gets a little bit of separation anxiety,” said Burnham. “When Kurt passed away, it took me over a year just to get her to know that I’m staying. Now, when I get my uniform on, she runs to the door and is ready to go to work.”

Whitney turns eight years old May 5, and will likely retire within the next year.

Coaching with purpose

Burnham’s impact on the island, however, doesn’t stop when he takes off his uniform. After a busy day with Whitney, the officer makes his way to Bainbridge High School, where he coaches the girls basketball team during the winter season. This is his fifth year coaching, and Burnham describes it as a blessing. “They helped me soften up a bit, especially with policing,” he said.

Not only does Burnham wish to make a positive impact while working with BIPD, but he also aims to help the growth and progress of his athletes. “I finally found out what the word ‘joy’ means. I truly find joy in coaching; it doesn’t feel like a job to me at all. I enjoy showing up every single day,” he said.

With it, however, comes a few laughs. Especially when Burnham had to pull someone over recently, and they asked him, “Aren’t you the basketball coach?”

“People always tell me their biggest fear is getting pulled over by Zach, because that would be so embarrassing,” he added. Burnham advises you to drive carefully and cautiously to avoid this interaction, but wants the community to know he is there for them.

Investing in others

That same passion for mentorship extends beyond the court and into other areas of the community. About four years ago, Burnham began a mentorship program at Woodward Middle School. Once a month, the officer sits down with a group of about 40 boys with the intention of guiding and helping them where they are in life. He teaches them about bullying, social media, peer pressure, how to navigate their transition to high school, and all that comes with it.

“On the final day, I have them write down something that they learned in the class,” said Burnham. “It’s great to see what they have learned and what they have to say, especially when a student tells me what he learned, and I would have never guessed what he had to say.”

The program first began when Burnham was asked to introduce himself to students at the school early on in his career with BIPD. “I expected maybe 20 kids in the library, and I show up, and there’s at least 80,” he said. “They were giving me high fives and telling me thank you, and I had never gotten something like that; it felt good. I really believe in growing roots with the youth, because that’s where it all starts.”

Finding light in dark places

At the heart of all his roles on Bainbridge Island is something deeper, an outlook shaped by both hardship and growth. Burnham described his younger self as someone who sat in the back of the class, loathing the idea of public speaking and always keeping his head down. Now, as a CRO, he is constantly talking to others and building connections with his community. “I want to be an open book,” he said. “I want people to understand that I have a path, and so do they. I’ve done everything you can possibly think of, and it still doesn’t define me.

“I’ve done a lot of law enforcement, and that has really stuck with me,” he shared. “It was hard trying to navigate through that. There are small wins here and there, but sometimes it’s easy to remember the negatives and forget a lot of the positives.”

Burnham’s faith is central to who he is and has put a passion in his heart to serve others, he shared. “My faith is the number one thing that helps me get through this job,” he said. “There’s a lot of highs and lows, and I think in this job, it can sometimes feel like that faith doesn’t exist because of a lot of the dark things. It’s easy to be mad in this life.”

Despite moments of doubt, Burnham shared how his line of work often brings unexpected opportunities to help others. Police work isn’t just pulling people over for speeding or responding to life-threatening situations, but it is also helping those around you, Burnham shared.

That impact becomes even more meaningful in high-stakes situations, especially during major cases. The last missing persons case was on Christmas, Burnham shared. “That was really cool to bring home a loved one on Christmas. Whitney did really well on that one. When she’s the one who finds the person, that’s the coolest thing ever. We bond the whole way home, and I’m just talking to her and giving her treats.”