The California Highway Patrol today announced the graduation and deployment of nine new canine teams. After months of intensive training, the teams were certified during a ceremony at the Canine Training Facility on the CHP Academy grounds.

“These loyal and brave public servants play a critical role in supporting the mission of the Department,” said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee. “Canines have a keen sense of smell that helps them detect items that a human officer cannot, such as narcotics and explosives. Both the canine and their handler’s skills are refined during the hundreds of hours of intense training, ensuring the teams are prepared to serve throughout the state.”

The graduates consist of six Patrol and Narcotics Detection Canine teams and three Explosives Detection Canine teams, all of which meet the guidelines set by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training. The newest team members include four Belgian Malinois, two Dutch Shepherds, and three German Shepherd dogs. Once graduated, the CHP will have a total of 51 teams deployed throughout the state.

Each canine’s partner, or handler, is an experienced CHP officer with experience ranging from five to 22 years. The officers represent six of the CHP’s eight geographic regions, including: Valley, Golden Gate, Southern (which includes the Newhall Area), Border, Coastal and Inland Division. Once deployed, the handlers will spend a minimum of eight hours every week completing scenario-based training with their canines to ensure the highest level of peak performance in the field.

The CHP uses canines to perform a variety of tasks, including detecting human scent, contraband, and explosives. The CHP canines are also used to assist allied agencies in apprehending criminals, detecting explosives or drugs, and in locating at-risk missing persons.