WICHITA FALLS, Texas —
Abilene Police Department K9 officers received several awards at the United States Police Canine Association Region 25 certifications earlier this summer in Wichita Falls.
Awards for APD K9 teams include:
K9 Barco with partner Officer Cox
- Top 20 out of nearly 60 narcotics canines for the national competition
- First place, tracking for the region
K9 Rip and partner Officer Squyres
- First place, patrol dog category
- First place, evidence and detection
- Top dog for the region
Each of the APD teams received the regional narcotics certification.
All the teams are certified nationally in patrol, tracking and two national narcotics certifications. There were 87 teams in the national competition and 35 for the regional competition.
The APD introduced its newest K9, Panzer, a 16-month-old Belgian Malinois male. He was born in Denmark and purchased through Southern State Canine with seized funds at a cost of $14,500.
Panzer is partnered with Officer Jacob Kartchner. The K9 team went through a six-week training period and is now out on the streets of Abilene.
