Livermore, CA
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The Canine Unit was established to augment police services to the community. Highly skilled and trained teams of handlers and canines have evolved from the program and are used to supplement police and tactical operations to locate individuals, contraband and to apprehend dangerous criminal offenders. Currently, we have three Officer Handler & K9 teams.
K9 Drake came to us all the way from Germany and is trained in narcotic detection and apprehending/locating criminals. K9 Drake and his partner Officer Long have been together since 2022 and are currently assigned to day shift patrol. When Drake is not working, he can be found sun-bathing or playing fetch.
Nitro is a 2 year old Belgian Malinois from Germany. He is certified in narcotics detection and patrol apprehension, and is paired with Officer Hickerson. Nitro loves making new friends and getting belly rubs. If you see us driving around town, feel free to wave hello!
K9 Max is a Belgium Malinois and was born on October 6, 2019 in Holland and is paired with Officer Pereira. Max is certified in locating and apprehending suspects, tracking, and handler protection. K9 Max is also certified in narcotic detection and has deployed with the regional SWAT Team on several occasions.
The police canines are a tremendous asset to the department and community and are often referred to as a force multiplier. With some tasks, they can do the work of a team of officers in much less time. Their presence alone on a violent crime call, a high-risk vehicle stop, or when contacting a group of gang members can gain the compliance of multiple suspects or convince hiding or fleeing suspects to surrender. The use of canines is imperative in the fight against crime and provides protection for officers and the community. K9 officers and their partners also conduct numerous demonstrations at community events and schools every year.
Training and Off-Duty
Canine handlers and their dogs go through rigorous training to meet the strict standards of police and K9 work. Officer/K9 partners are required to complete an eight-week long training course, followed by specialized trainings in tracking. In addition to these courses, the dog and handler attend two monthly training sessions to stay certified in their specialized skills. The Officer/K9 partners are required to certify once a year in order to stay as a working dog. When the dogs are not working, they live with their handler at home and will eventually retire as the family pet.