TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - We're taking a closer look at how much training our local police dogs get before hitting the streets to fight crime.
For the Tallahassee Police Department, working alongside K-9's is a big part of the job. They already have seven dual-purpose dogs who work patrol and drug detection, plus one strictly drug dog, a Labrador Retriever.
Now, two new dogs are getting trained. Titan, a German Shepherd, and Kana, the department's first female Belgian Malinois, will soon be helping their handlers patrol the streets of the Capital City. First, they have a lot to learn.
"The training consists of a 480 hour basic training course for patrol work through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement," said Officer Brent Edwards, a K-9 Handler for TPD. "On top of that, we also do the illicit drug detection with that, which is another 200 hours."
It takes the dogs months to learn and perfect their skills. They're taught to perform area and building searches, tracking, drug detection and how to apprehend a suspect. The K-9's are even trained to protect their handler from an attack. However, Officer Edwards says the job they do most is drug detection.
Once TPD's K-9's are certified, they continue to do 16 hours of training a month to keep their skills sharp. When they're not working, TPD's police dogs live with their handlers.
"We enjoy helping the department out and keeping the community safe and it's a blast. I get to play with a dog at work all day long," said Officer Edwards. "I actually spend more time with my dog between work and home than my wife and kids, so we've developed quite a good relationship."
Titan and Kana should be certified and ready to start working this fall.
