After completing over 400 hours of training, nine K9 officers and their handlers are ready to hit the streets in California.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) announced on May 14, 2022, the graduation and deployment of nine new K9 teams. The recent graduates bring the CHP’s K9 units to 48 spread throughout the state.
The K9 graduates are two Dutch Shepherds, two Belgian Malinois, and five German Shepherds. Two of the canines, Shei and Riva, are the only females in the class.
The canine and officer team graduates consist of eight Patrol and Narcotics Detection Canine teams and one Patrol and Explosives Detection Canine team.
The K9 handlers are CHP officers with experience ranging from 4 to 15 years.
The new K9 teams will represent the CHP’s eight geographic regions of Northern Valley, Golden Gate, Central, Southern, Border, Coastal, and Inland Division.
CHP’s K9 teams are used to detect contraband and explosives through scent.
They also assist other agencies in tracking and arresting criminals, detecting explosives or drugs, and locating at-risk missing people.
The CHP’s K9 teams train eight hours a week to stay sharp and ready for the citizens they serve and protect.
