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Shreveport Police Department

www.ci.shreveport.la.us/dept/police/spdnews

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: June 29, 2001

Contact: Kacee Hargrave, Public Information Officer

K-9 officers, dogs put their skills to the test

Seven Shreveport Police K-9s and their handlers will get to demonstrate the skills they train on all year during a certification process being held this weekend.

The event, which runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and from 8 a.m. to noon on Sunday, includes drills that test the dogs’ drug detection skills and patrol skills such as tracking, suspect apprehension and building searches.

This year has been a good one for the K-9s and their officers. On April 7, Officer Robert Elliott and K-9 Nero responded to a residential burglary in progress call. Nero was sent into an apartment where a suspect appeared to be waiting to ambush an officer. Nero went to the offender who was hiding behind the door and bit him until officers could arrest him. Another suspect in the home also was arrested.

Also in April, Officer William Arnold and K-9 Kaza located a suspect that had just committed a robbery at Albertson’s on Mansfield Road. The suspect had been tied to other recent robberies in Shreveport and was heavily sought after by police.

The experience in these types of cases, as well as weekly training, helps the K-9s and the officer prepare for this weekend’s competition. Four judges will preside over the certification. They are:

    • Randy Heir, a retired 19-year canine veteran officer and nationally certified judge from Jackson, Mississippi.

    • Jack Robicheaux , a nationally certified drug detection and patrol dog from Lafayette.

    • Lt. Lenny Bonnette, a nationally and regionally certified judge who is a supervisor in SPD’s District 18.

    • Sgt. Rickey Scroggins, a nationally and regionally certified judge, who is a supervisor in SPD’s Area 3.

    Certification on Saturday morning will be held at the Shreveport Regional Police Academy. However, they will be testing at other locations throughout the weekend.

    Any media that would like to cover this event may want to page Lt. Steve Floyd at 632-0838 before you head out so you can get their exact location.

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