CANINE CRIME FIGHTERS – A COMMUNITY’S BEST FRIEND
Did you know that the Lafayette Police Department K9 Unit consists of five patrol trained dogs? Four of the K9 Units are assigned to the Uniform Division and one is assigned to the Street Crimes Unit. All of the LPD K-9 Units were trained at Von Liche Kennels, located in Denver, Indiana. The K9s are trained in narcotics detection and handler protection, as well as tracking, obedience, article searches, and area searches.
The Canine Unit is called in instances when either a dangerous call is in progress, such as a burglary or robbery, when we need help searching for a lost child, or to find things only their super powerful noses can detect! The dogs are able to clear areas before officer’s approach on foot and perform area or building searches for fleeing and hidden suspects.
If you did know about our K9 Program, you may not know about how awesome it is! In fact, our program has consistently produced award winning performances in competitions against other K9’s from around the world! Not only is that something we are extremely proud of, it gives us great comfort knowing that we have some of the best trained “partners” in the world working right here in our community!
These extremely well-trained teams reinforce their formal training through annual certifications at Von Liche Kennels. They also conduct in-service training, with an average of 16 hours per month. In addition to individual training, the LPD K-9 units join with other K-9 teams in the Tippecanoe county area for monthly “Metro K9 Unit” training. The dedication of the officers in this unit and their K-9 partners is the reason for the success of this program.
The K-9 officers house the K-9’s at their homes, provide for their daily care and welfare, and make many personal sacrifices in order to care for the K-9’s. All of these officers and their K-9s comply with the high standards of the LPD and serve above and beyond their normal duties as officers because of their K-9 duties.
The sacrifice these officers and their “partner’s” make on our behalf is worth supporting with a donation to the K9 Unit through the Lafayette Police Foundation. Your donation will be used to purchase training, equipment, and even support new dogs to walk in the footsteps of our retiring canine crime-fighters.