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Protecting Utah

POST Conducts Introduction to K9 Course

Thursday July 18, 2019

Cadets receive exposure to working with K9 units

POST recently held its Introduction to K9 class for Session #343 cadets.

The 4-hour class is designed to give cadets exposure to working with K9 units. Following a short classroom session in which POST’s Sgt. Nope discussed why law enforcement agencies utilize K9s, the cadets headed to various stations around the POST campus for hands on – and for some cadets who donned the bite suits TEETH on – training.

Sgt. Palmer demonstrates how to absorb a K9 bite as a group of cadets look on.
WVCPD’s Sgt. Palmer demonstrates to the cadets how to absorb a bite from a K9.

Special thanks to the K9 handlers and their K9 partners who conducted the training and showed the cadets the ropes!

  • Davis County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Wennegren and K9 Nomos
  • West Valley City Police Department Sgt. Palmer and K9 Ranger
  • Lehi Police Department Sgt. Lewis and K9 Onyx
  • Duchesne County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Adams and K9 Ven
  • Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Loveland and K9 Drago
  • South Salt Lake Firefighter Jones an K9 Midas

Felony Building Search

Davis County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Wennegren and her K9 Nomos guided the cadets through a simulated felony building search.

Deputy Wennegren helps a cadet put on the bite suit.
Deputy Wennegren assists a cadet with the bite suit.
Deputy Wennegren gives directions to a cadet who is putting on a bite suit.
Deputy Wennegren gives directions to a cadet who is putting on a bite suit.

One cadet from each group volunteered to wear the bite suit and then hid in a room in a section of POST used for building search scenarios. Deputy Wennegren then sent Nomos in to search for the suspect, who Nomos quickly found.

Nomos is a blur as he lunges to bite a cadet wearing a bite suit.
Nomos is a blur as he lunges to bite a cadet wearing a bite suit.
Deputy Wennegren demonstrates room clearing techniques to cadets as they follow K9 Nomos into the room.
Deputy Wennegren demonstrates room clearance techniques to the cadets.
Deputy Wennegren gives K9 Nomos a pat as a reward for finding the suspect.
Cadets hold the suspect as Deputy Wennegreen gets K9 Nomos to release his grip.
Deputy Wennegren holds onto K9 Nomos as cadets take the cadet in the bite suit into custody.

Narcotics Detection

Trooper Loveland discusses K9 interdiction with a group of cadets.

Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Loveland and his K9 Drago demonstrated drug detection for the cadets. Trooper Loveland placed a hide on a vehicle and then told Drago to search vehicles.

UHP Trooper Loveland points to K9 Drago who gives an alert on an odor.
UHP Trooper Loveland points to K9 Drago who gives an alert on an odor.
Trooper Loveland gestures toward K9 Drago, who is sitting down in front of a vehicle, indicating that he has detected a drug odor.
K9 Drago indicates on the odor of drugs.

Trooper Loveland pointed out the difference between Drago’s alert and indication.

Yard-to-Yard Search

Deputy Adams discusses K9 operations with a group of cadets as K9 Ven sits by his side.
Deputy Adams discusses K9 operations with a group of cadets as K9 Ven sits by his side.

For the yard-to-yard search scenario, Duchesne County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Adams and his K9 Ven demonstrated how a K9 can provide tracking assistance in a situation in which a suspect may have fled and be hiding.

A cadet wearing a bite suit hides in some trees and brush as Deputy Adams discusses K9 operations with a group of cadets.
A cadet wearing a bite suit hides in some trees and brush as Deputy Adams discusses K9 operations with a group of cadets.
Deputy Adams and K9 Ven lead cadets through a median with trees as part of a yard to yard search scenario.
Deputy Adams and K9 Ven lead cadets through a median with trees as part of a yard to yard search scenario.
Deputy Adams pulls K9 Ven off the cadet wearing a bite suit, who K9 Ven found in the bushes.
Cadets restrain the suspect while Deputy Adams gets K9 Ven to release his grip.

Felony Traffic Stop

WVCPD Sgt. Palmer shows cadets actions they should take during a K9 operation.

West Valley City Police Department Sgt. Palmer and his K9 partner Ranger were joined by Lehi City Police Department Sgt. Lewis and K9 Onyx for the felony traffic stop scenario.

If a person is refusing to exit a vehicle, officers may send in a K9 in order to gain compliance.

K9 Ranger is ready to spring into action, standing by the WVCPD vehicle while Sgt. Palmer holds his leash.
K9 Ranger is ready for action!
Aerial view of K9 Ranger running toward the suspect vehicle, as cadets look on.
K9 Ranger pulls a cadet in a bite suit out of the back seat of a vehicle.
K9 Ranger bites and pulls the cadet wearing the bite suit back to the WVCPD vehicle.
Aerial view of cadets holding down the cadet in a bite suit, who was the suspect, preparing to handcuff him, as Sgt. Palmer holds K9 Ranger.
Sgt. Palmer restrains his K9 partner Ranger as a cadet in a bite suit and two other cadets look on.
Sgt. Palmer holds K9 Ranger as he sees the bite suit and is ready for action.

Sgt. Lewis then reviewed vehicle clearing techniques with the cadets.

Lehi PD Sgt. Lewis demonstrates vehicle clearing techniques to a group of cadets.
Lehi PD Sgt. Lewis demonstrates vehicle clearing techniques to a group of cadets.
WVCPD Sgt. Palmer and Lehi PD Sgt. Lewis discuss vehicle clearance and K9 operations with a group of cadets.
WVCPD Sgt. Palmer and Lehi PD Sgt. Lewis discuss vehicle clearance and K9 operations with a group of cadets.

Search and Rescue

The cadets also received exposure to the use of a K9 in a search and rescue operation. South Salt Lake Firefighter Jones and K9 Midas helped run the cadets through this scenario.

SSL Firefighter Jones kneels next to K9 Midas as a group of cadets look on.
SSL Firefighter Jones prepares to deploy K9 Midas on a search and rescue.

A young girl hid inside a mobile cabinet in a dorm room at POST, and K9 Midas was sent in to search for her.

K9 Midas sits down to indicate that he has located a human being, who is hiding in a mobile cabinet.
K9 Midas indicates on the odor of a human.

According to Sgt. Nope, the goal of the class is for the cadets to understand and experience what it’s like to assist in a K9 operation.

Thanks again to the K9 handlers and their partners for helping POST teach the cadets about one of law enforcement’s four-legged partners!

###

MEDIA CONTACT

Hillary Koellner
Director of Public Affairs
Department of Public Safety
hmkoellner@utah.gov

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