More than 100 police canine units from around the country are calling Crawfordsville home this week.
The canines and their handlers are attending the 45th annual North American Police Work Dog Association’s national workshop which is being organized and hosted by the Montgomery County Police Canine Association, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and the Crawfordsville Police Department.
A public demonstration of the canine units and their handlers is set for 7 p.m. today on the football field at North Montgomery High School.
“The Crawfordsville community has really opened its arms to us,” NAPWDA President Rob Hickman said. “This year is a big deal for us to be in Crawfordsville because since we were founded in 1977, this is our 45th anniversary. We try and showcase all of the different K-9 units throughout the country and if we’re able to touch one handler this week in any way, then we’ve accomplished our mission.”
Officers have spent the week training with their animals and earning various certifications, including finding narcotics and explosives, search and rescue and more.
Crawfordsville Patrolman and MUPCA member Russ Keller said being the host of such an event is exciting.
“Most importantly we get to highlight our community,” he said. “It gives us some world-class training which only makes us better. The city has really jumped on board to support our program, and thanks to them we have the training facilities that are required to host an event like this. A lot of our community partners have donated their time, space and resources to allow us to show off what our dogs can do.”
Along with the 115 agencies from around the country, another 46 individuals who have earned the title of master trainers are on site to help guide and teach the officers.
“It takes approximately seven years to become a master trainer,” Hickman said. “You have to be a member of NAPWDA for a year, then get critique hours from other master trainers and that takes three years itself. After that it requires you to pass a written test and an oral interview with an accreditation board. That just gets you accredited as a trainer, then you repeat the whole process over again to become a master trainer in the field that you want.”
The public is encouraged to attend today’s demonstration. Spectators can expect to witness a variety of scenarios and situations on display by the different agencies and canine units.
Free-will donations will be accepted at the event. Proceeds will benefit MUPCA, a non-for-profit organization. Anyone who is unable to attend, but would like to donate to the cause, should visit the organization’s website mupca.org.
