Chatham-Kent Police Service

Canine

The Chatham-Kent Police Service has two dogs known as general purpose dogs. The dogs are specifically trained in the following areas:

Obedience	Open Search	Criminal Apprehension/Stand-Off
Agility	Building Search	Criminal Apprehension/Hold
Article Search	Tracking	Tactical Containment

Each dog is assigned to a specific officer and they must complete an intensive 3 month training program. The Canine Unit participates in two twelve hour training sessions per month in addition to training while on-duty.

Constable Brad Molnar has been employed with CKPS for 10 years. He has been a member of the Canine Unit since 2005. His police dog partner is named Rebel. Rebel is 4 years old and is from Germany. They have been working together since 2007.

Constable Larry Johnson has been employed with CKPS for 6 years. He has been a member of the Canine Unit since 2007. His police dog partner is named Bounty. Bounty is 3 years old and is from the Czech Republic. They have been working together since 2007.

The Chatham-Kent Police Service Canine Unit is deployed on patrol both during the day and night shifts. These officers with their police dog partners respond to calls for service similar to any other police officer within the municipality. Currently both our patrol dogs are German Shepherds. The breed is chosen for their physical ability, strength and intelligence. A strong temperament is very important as these dogs are expected to perform in stressful situations.

Police dogs have many responsibilities. Their expertise includes tracking, agility, article searches, building searches, open searches, chase and apprehension, and handler protection. They are used to provide containment and to assist our Critical Incident Response Team. Our handlers are on call twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. All handlers must complete an extensive thirteen week course where the handler and dog learn as a team.

These are highly-trained and assertive animals, however, they are able to interact with the public. The Canine Unit provides numerous public demonstrations and school presentations per year. These demonstrations allow us to showcase the abilities of our canine partners and inform the public of their importance. These animals have a huge responsibility to keep our members and the public safe.