In the medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, Patrick Dempsey played an attractive Seattle surgeon affectionately known as McDreamy.
Now, across the Puget Sound, Bainbridge Island Police Department K-9/Community Resource Officer Zach Burnham has earned a cheeky nickname of his own, with fellow officers christening him “Hot Cop.” McHot-Cop, if you will. Burnham himself prefers to simply be called Zach, or Officer Zach.
His canine companion Whitney, meanwhile, has become a viral TikTok sensation. Whitney, a search-and-rescue bloodhound, is primarily used to find missing persons, Burnham explained.
We’ll get clothes from their laundry basket,” he said. “Whitney will pick up the scent, and I’ll say, ‘Are you ready?’ and she’ll wag her tail. I then say, ‘Check it,’ and she takes off running!
Aside from the playful monikers, the 6’-5” former D-1 basketball player insists that he’s just a regular-looking guy, plus a dad, a husband and a Bainbridge High School girls’ basketball coach. He wants people to know him on a first-name basis to break down any barriers.
Burnham moved here from Atlanta and started with BIPD in 2019. Acknowledging the evolution of how law enforcement is perceived, his relationship with the people he serves is more vital than ever.
It’s important for me to be a mentor and leader on this island and build relationships in this tightknit community.
The community recently had an opportunity to chat with Burnham at the reinstated Coffee With a Cop, held at Pegasus Coffee House. Topics included why Bainbridge needs a K-9 officer, what the most common crimes are and when it’s ok to call 9-1-1. More such events are planned in the future. In true Bainbridge fashion, islanders continue to welcome Burnham.
“There’s nothing like getting thank you letters from kids, or people waving or yelling out Whitney’s name,” he said. “That really makes my day.”
