San Diego Police K9 Honoring Fallen Heroes

The San Diego Police K9 unit has a special way of honoring fallen heroes. They do this by wearing a special badge with the name of a fallen officer on it.

The badges are a reminder of the sacrifices made by the officers and their families. It's a way for the K9s to show respect and gratitude.

The San Diego Police K9 unit has a long history of serving the community, dating back to 1921. The first police dog was a German Shepherd named Rex.

Sir, a four-year-old Belgian Malinois, was killed in the line of duty on August 2, 2023, during a shooting at San Diego Mesa College.

He was shot by a suspect who refused to drop his gun, and officers had to shoot and kill the suspect.

Sir served as a K-9 officer with the San Diego Police Department for 18 months.

His handler, Kyle Jachim, worked with Sir for a year and a half and considered him a family member.

Sir was honored at the National Police K-9 Memorial Service in Washington D.C., where 26 fallen K-9 officers were remembered.

A rose was laid for Sir in honor of his sacrifice, with his handler present to pay his respects.

Sir's death was the first time a San Diego Police K-9 had been shot and killed in the line of duty.

The San Diego Police Department received an outpouring of support from the community following Sir's death.

Police Training is a crucial aspect of the San Diego Police K9 program. The Patrol Academy course is designed to develop the primary skills necessary for street patrol.

Here, the new dog and handler team will learn the fundamentals of canine psychology and health. Building and area searches are also a key part of this training.

Obedience and control are essential skills for a K9 team to learn. They will also learn tactical deployment and trailing.

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The K9 team will learn to work around and with a search team while moving comfortably around other officers. This is a valuable skill that requires practice and patience.

Basic Handler Courses are scheduled three times a year. You can also request a private Basic Handler's Course if there's an urgent need for a K-9 team to hit the street immediately.

To request more information, you can call our Training Director, Manuel Villanueva, at 760-468-8830.

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