On June 28, the Charles County Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit celebrated the graduation of three K9 officers and their K9 partners: Cpl. Tyner and her K9, Rico; PFC Irwin and his K9, Bane; and PFC Levy and his K9 Mando.

 

 

After seven months of rigorous training, under the direction of William “Billy” Cotton and Cpl. Larry Blake, the teams received Patrol and Narcotics Certifications. Throughout the training course, the dogs learned obedience, following commands, search, scent tracking, apprehension, and substance detection among other situations. “The work of our K9 teams is a critical component to the Agency and we take the responsibility of their training very seriously,” said Cotton. “I enjoy training new K9 officers as they provide a unique service to our Agency and our communities,” said Cpl. Blake.

 

All three K9s are about 1 ½ years old. Rico is a German Shepherd; Bane is a Belgian Malinois; and Mando is a Malaherd. “I am continually impressed by our K9 Unit and their trainers who work so hard to have that strong working relationship out in the field,” said Sgt. Beth Clark who supervises the Unit. “Completing this program takes a great deal of dedication and discipline, and we are proud to have these teams assisting us in our mission to help protect our communities in Charles County,” said Sheriff Troy Berry.

 

With the completion of their training, Rico, Bane and Mando have now begun their careers in patrol. With the graduation of these three teams, the Agency has a total of eight K9 teams and two bloodhound teams ready to help serve and protect.