Due to the high-profile nature of this special assignment and the likelihood that the handler may be forced to use his K9 to search for and apprehend a suspect, K9 handler selection is very important. K9 handlers are selected primarily from the Uniformed Services Division of the Police Department.

K-9 Teams:

Currently the Montebello Police K9 Services Unit has 2 in-service teams.

"K9-2" Corporal Steve Sharpe & K9 "Ozze"

"K9-3" Corporal Boris Zeissig & K9 "Roger"

Corporal Boris Zeissig and K9 "Roger" is the departments first Narcotics Detection Dog team solely dedicated to locating hidden narcotics. Corporal Zeissig and K9 "Roger" are assigned to the Special Investigations Unit. Picture omitted due to assignment

K9 Handler Selection Process:

Interested officers who want to be considered as a handler must submit a memo of interest to the K9 Unit Coordinator and compete with other officers in a variety of examinations. Officers are required to compete in an oral examination consisting of an oral board of K9 handlers from neighboring cities and the K9 Unit Coordinator or Supervisor.

Officers who pass the oral board examination are again tested and paired with working K9's to see their ability in interacting with the dogs and to observe any fear or reluctance. The Officers are then required to perform certain exercises with the K9's to observe any skills and experience working with the teams.

Officers are then placed on an eligibility list and further evaluation is conducted. Potential handlers are selected who exhibit the following traits; overall experience, job interest & performance, judgment & decision making, ability to work in a team environment, interest in the program & motivation, knowledge of department policy & procedures and input from supervisors and managers.

Once the officer is selected as a handler they must give a minimum of 3 years commitment and are paired with their K9 counterparts. K9 handlers are allowed to remain in their position for the "working life" of their partners and may re-test when their partners require retirement.

K9 Selection:

The 3 in-service police K9's that we have are Belgium Malinois' and a Labrador Retriever. Both Patrol Services K9's are trained for patrol and are crossed trained for narcotics detection. Our Narcotics Detection Dog is specifically trained to search for narcotics. Most of our canines are imported from Europe by Adlerhorst International. All of our dogs have the basic "Police Dog" or "Narcotics Detection Dog titles or an equivalent Police K9 certification/title.

Our canines are carefully selected for their "drives," which are manifestations of a dog's natural willingness and internal motivation to perform certain behaviors. All of our dogs are selected for their ability to do the work that we ask of them. For example, the "prey," "play" and "defense" drives are the most well-known drives which directly effect how well a dog will fit into police work. A dog with a weak "prey" drive may not have the requisite to chase and apprehend a dangerous, fleeing suspect when it is needed. Similarly, a dog with a weak "defense" drive may cower and run when faced with an aggressive, violent suspect. A dog with a weak "play" drive may not have enough desire to sniff for drugs when it is needed. 

Although all of our canines are Police "working" dogs, they are very stable, very friendly, very sociable and very approachable with people. Our Police K9's have conducted a multitude of public demonstrations and have been photographed with and petted by hundreds of adults and children alike.

Training: 

The Official Department Trainer for Patrol Operations is Adlerhorst International, located in Riverside, California. The Official Department Trainer for Narcotics Detection K9 is Master K-9 in Cherry Valley, California. Prior to the handler being allowed to work in the street they are required to attend a basic handlers course provided by our vendors. During this course, handlers are taught how to handle their K9's and must pass rigorous Adlerhorst & Master K9 certification standards and the California P.O.S.T. K9 test criteria.

Once the handler has graduated from basic training they are paired with an experienced handler and provided in-service training in procedures, theories and protocols for Law Enforcement K9 handling. Once the patrol handler & K9 becomes an experienced team they are sent back to Adlerhorst International for a 5 week K9 Narcotics Detection Training course.

Training is constant. The handlers must attend weekly K9 training involving interaction with handlers from neighboring cities and must train while on-duty to maintain proficiency. Handlers must also attend monthly vendor training and yearly re-certification courses and again must pass the rigorous training standards and California P.O.S.T. testing. K9 Officers must also compete in at least 2 K9 trials (competitions) every year so they can be evaluated/judged by non-partisan, non-interested persons as to the K9 teams abilities and performance.

Retirement:

When the Police Service Dog reaches the age of retirement, usually around the age of 8-9 years old, or is no longer physically able to endure the stress of the job, the Police Service Dog is usually retired and sold to the handler and remains in their possession as part of their family. The family must also endure all costs of health care, feeding and grooming.

The Police Service Dog receives no retirement pension or other benefits as their human counter-parts do, only to receive the love and companionship until their remaining last days. Being a K9 handler is one of the most difficult assignments (emotionally) an officer can have as they will always loose their partners in the end.

Equipment:

The handlers in the unit deploy a variety of specialized equipment for training of their dogs. Often times the use of a bite sleeve, a bite suit, leashes, muzzles and other assorted implements ensure the proficiency of their K9's. The handlers drive specially equipped police vehicles that are made exclusively to safely transport their four-legged counterparts. Normally the "K9 Unit" has the special marking on the sides and rear of their vehicles identifying them as such. The units are equipped with a special platform in the rear of the vehicle or a "container" that gives the K9 as sense of being in a secure and protected environment. The doors and often times windows of the K9 unit are remote controlled allowing the handler to quickly release the K9 to come to his assistance.

Additionally, as you may have seen, K9 units parked with their hoods open and windows closed on a hot day with their engine running. This has caused some concern to the public and numerous telephone calls to the department. Please rest assured, the engines are on to keep the air-conditioner running to keep the K9 cool and the K9 units are also equipped with a paging device should the engine fail. This paging devices sounds off alerting the handler. All handlers use great care not to endanger their K9 partners!

Handler Compensation:

In accordance with F.L.S.A. laws, the K9 handlers receive compensation for taking care of their partners 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.