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Protecting Utah
POST Conducts Introduction to K9 Course
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.
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.
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.
Narcotics Detection
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.
Trooper Loveland pointed out the difference between Drago’s alert and indication.
Yard-to-Yard Search
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.
Felony Traffic Stop
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.
Sgt. Lewis then reviewed vehicle clearing techniques with the 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.
A young girl hid inside a mobile cabinet in a dorm room at POST, and K9 Midas was sent in to search for her.
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!
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