The Chino Police Department welcomed a new canine “K-9” team to the force on September 22, 2023. Officer Larry Suarez and his partner, K-9 Nixo, are the new members of Chino PD’s K-9 Unit. K-9 Nixo is a 2 ½-year-old Shephard / Malinois mix from Czechoslovakia.

Officer Suarez and K-9 Nixo are currently participating in the 6-week Basic Handler Course at Adlerhorst International in Riverside. Upon completion of the course, the team will undergo in-house training before being deployed into the field.

Officer Suarez and Nixo are welcomed additions to Chino PD’s K-9 Unit, consisting of a Lieutenant, a Sergeant, and two additional Chino Police K-9 Officers who handle two other Police Service Dogs – Cyra and Halina.

The K-9 Unit is assigned to assist and supplement the Operations Division. Each K-9 team supports the department's operations using its dog’s heightened senses, specifically its olfactory and hearing abilities. K-9 teams are used to locate hidden suspects, detect drugs, and locate/recover evidence for various operations. Police service dogs help create a safer work environment for officers when searching for suspects in concealed locations by alerting officers of their presence in advance. In Fiscal Year 2021-22, the K-9 unit was deployed 232 times, resulting in 8 surrenders and 2 apprehensions.

Chino PD also has a station dog, Susie, who was donated to the department. She provides important mental and emotional support for victims and City employees. She is a popular visitor to City facilities and serves as a police department ambassador at Chino events. These four K-9s are valuable members of Chino’s team.

Again, congratulations to Officer Suarez, and welcome to K-9 Nixo!

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