[Archived] Alexandria Police Department Congratulates K-9 Unit Graduates

Alexandria Police Congratulates K-9 Unit Graduates

On June 8, the Police Department held a graduation ceremony for the graduates of the Basic K-9 School, hosted by the Alexandria Police Department's K-9 Unit.  The ceremony was held at 2:00 p.m. at the Police Department’s K-9 Facility, located at 1108 Jefferson Street.

Three Alexandria Police officers and one Arlington County Police officer participated in the Basic K-9 School.  The officers who graduated are:
 
• Sergeant Steven Carr and K-9 “G’Kar, Sergeant Carr has been with Alexandria Police Department since 1994 and was transferred to K-9 supervisor in 2010.
• Officer Mark Wuckovich and K-9 “Rocco”, Officer Wuckovich has been with Alexandria Police Department since 1983 and was selected for the K9 Unit in 1989.
• Officer Kyle Russel and K-9 “Chance”, Officer Russel has been with the Alexandria Police Department since 2005 and was selected for the K-9 unit in 2011. 
  Officer Russel was shot in the line of duty in September 2008 while serving in the Patrol Operations Bureau.
• Corporal Thorpe Lichtenberg and K-9 “Roxy”, Corporal Lichtenberg has been with Arlington Police Department since 1987 and was selected for the K-9 unit in 1992.
 
The four officers completed a 15-week training course in all areas of police K-9 work, including instruction on obedience, evidence recovery, suspect search, tracking, agility, criminal apprehension, building search and tactical deployments with canine. The class was taught by lead trainer K-9 Officer Carlos Rolon, who has been with the Department since 1998 and in the K-9 Unit since 2004.