CPD Hosts K-9 “mini-trials” On Moccasin Bend

CHATTANOOGA, TN. – The Chattanooga Police Department is hosting the United States Police Canine Association (USPCA) Region 22 “Mini-Trials” at the Police Shooting Range on Moccasin Bend today and tomorrow, August 30th and 31st.

The USPCA was founded in 1971 and certifies K-9s across the country and is the nation’s largest police K9 organization. The trials are testing 21 officers and K-9s from 9 departments in Tennessee and Alabama on narcotics detection and patrol, including a series of different obedience commands that both the handler and K-9 must be able to complete.

“In a lot of situations, K-9 officers are the first ones to put their lives on the line and go in against an armed suspect to protect their human partners,” said Sergeant Sean O’Brien, who supervises the CPD Special Operations K-9 Unit. “Their training and their certification is every bit as important as our training and certification.”

The USPCA is the nation’s oldest and largest police K-9 organization. The courts have determined that certifications are necessary to assess canine teams’ abilities in specific disciplines. USPCA regional and national certifications have been upheld by more than 78 U.S. Supreme Court and federal District Court rulings as bonafide.

The Chattanooga Police Department currently has seven K-9 teams consisting mainly of Belgian Malinois and German Shepherds that support the Neighborhood Policing Bureau, Fugitive Division, Narcotics, Explosive Ordnance Disposal, and the Gun Team.

“We train most of our dogs from scratch,” said O’Brien. “It usually takes five to six months for the initial certification and the K-9 teams recertify each year. On average, the K-9 will work to between eight and 10 years of age.”

Sergeant O’Brien works with K-9 Gunther, a German Shorthair Pointer who specializes in detecting more than 20 different explosives’ odors in motion, static, and crowded environments. O’Brien has been a handler for eight years and took over as the supervisor of the CPD K-9 Unit in May.