ALEXANDRIA POLICE DEPARTMENT
PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE
2003 MILL ROAD
ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA 22314-4658
703-838-4636
MEDIA ADVISORY
April 26, 2007 #07-027
2:50 PM BARTLETT
Alexandria Police Host K-9 Certification Trials
On Saturday, April 28, and Sunday, April 29, the Alexandria Police Department and the United States Police Canine Association (USPCA) will host the annual Region 3 patrol dog certification trials at Hensley Field, 4200 Eisenhower Avenue. Hensley Field is easily accessed, just � mile east of the Eisenhower Connector exit from the Beltway. The certification trials will begin at 8:00 a.m., and the public is invited to observe.
The USPCA is the largest and oldest active organization of police dog trainers and handlers, with more than 2,700 members. The association was begun in 1971 with the merging of two existing organizations. Membership in the association is restricted to active duty and retired law enforcement officers who have supervised, handled or trained police dogs. Among the objectives of the association are:
To establish a minimum working standard for police dogs.
To improve the abilities of the canine in police work.
To promote the image of the working police dog.
Region 3 of the USPCA is comprised of members from Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, Delaware and West Virginia, and is one of 26 separate regions. Region 3 is the largest region of the USPCA, with over 290 members.
The certification trials will consist of obedience, agility, article search, suspect search and criminal apprehension exercises. Experienced judges from law enforcement agencies around the United States will assess these exercises. K-9 teams, consisting of a dog and police officer handler, will then be ranked on a numeric scale to determine whether they will certify and how they place. Criminal apprehension exercises will be held on Sunday, with all other phases taking place on Saturday.
For further information, contact Sergeant John Zook, K-9 Unit Supervisor, at 703-838-4332 or 571-238-3775 (cell).
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