Nov. 19, 2001 – Five police officers from the St. Thomas/St. John district are back home after six weeks of training with their police dogs, Police Commissioner Franz Christian said in a news release.
He said that the officers attended Top Police Dog K-9 Academy in Evansville, Indiana. They received certification by the U.S. Police Canine Association and all ranked among the top 10 in their class.
The dogs received training in obedience, agility, article search, box searches, tracking, criminal apprehension, and building and area searches.
Participants were Ofc. David Rhymer and his dog Rex, Ofc. Levenia Donastorg and her dog Kees, Ofc. George Gonzales and his dog Joeri, and Ofc. Ecedro Lindquist and his dog Zeus.
Funding for the training came from a grant from the Law Enforcement Planning Commission.
Christian also said that Sgt. Elton Grant has been certified as an explosive detective trainer, an important asset as the department upgrades its ability to respond to terrorist attacks.
