Alaska State Troopers held a graduation ceremony for dogs and handlers who completed its Canine Academy on May 26, 2017, at the Alaska State Crime Laboratory. Troopers now have six dogs and handler teams that are certified for drug detection work. The Department of Corrections will also utilize a canine graduate of the program. The dogs are trained to detect heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine. Three of dogs are also trained for patrol duties, including searching and apprehension tasks.
Sgt. Brian Zeisel, the canine coordinator for the troopers, says the program includes six weeks of intensive training for drug detection tasks. "It's going to be a very valuable tool in helping us fight the drug epidemic that we're experiencing here in Alaska," Zeisel said.
Zeisel describes the special bond between the dogs and their handlers in this video.