The UT Police Department has its first-ever police dogs—two Belgian Malinois that are trained to detect explosives.
Bira is eighteen months old and Tica is seventeen months old. The university purchased the dogs from Iron Heart High Performance Working Dogs in Shawnee, Kansas.
“This is a new and exciting venture for the UT Police Department,” said Chief Troy Lane. “We realize that our university is a very public and easily recognizable institution. With recent national incidents that have occurred, the UT Police Department wants to add as many tools as possible to continue to keep our community safe.”
The dogs have been trained to detect several types of explosives and will be used at many special events on campus.
The police department recently sent two officers, Sergeant Cedric Roach and Corporal Mary Cameron, for several weeks of training with their two new canine partners.
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CONTACT:
Sgt. Cedric Roach (865-974-1094, croach@utk.edu)