K9 Squad
The Salt Lake City Police Department K9 Squad was developed and started in 1958 under Chief W. Cleon Skousen. For the next twenty years the K9 Squad functioned very successfully not only out on patrol but as a public relations tool for the Department.
K9 teams were used by the SLCPD for 20 years until a combination of financial and training issues ended the program in 1978. By 1989 those issues no longer stood in the way of the formation of a K9 squad and four new teams were brought into service. From that time, the K9 Squad has proven to be one of the police department's best, adding in recent years a Bloodhound, a Labrador and a Beagle to its teams of German Shepherd Dogs.
The Salt Lake City Police Department currently has seven K9 teams and looks forward to continued success from this squad.
For more information on the K9 Squad please click on one of the links below.
Below are the K9s and their partners of the Salt Lake City Police Department K9 Squad:
Apollo
Apollo is a German Shepherd Dog, born in Germany in May of 2005. At the age of two he was purchased and shipped to the United States to begin his training with his Partner Sgt. John “Eddie” Cameron.
Sgt Cameron is a 13 year veteran of the Salt Lake City Police Department. He has served the citizens of Salt Lake City in various positions over his career. As an Officer he served in Patrol, Swat, COP Squad, and Gangs. Eddie was promoted to Sergeant in July 2006. As a Sergeant he has served in Patrol, Training, and K9.
Apollo is a duel purpose police dog. Certified in tracking, apprehension, and narcotics. He recently completed his DPO1 certification. Apollo has excelled in his initial foundation training as a police dog. He has successfully apprehended numerous suspects, and has found a considerable amount of illegal narcotics on the street. Apollo has also excelled at K9 competitions on a state level.
Sgt Cameron says his dog is very athletic. At home he has been forced to raise his 6’ fence to 8’ because Apollo could jump the shorter fence and chase deer through the field below his house. If Apollo sees the neighbors’ chickens he has been known to jump the 8” fence.
Vader
Officer Russell Peterson has been with SLCPD since 1999. In his time with the department he has served as a Patrol Officer, Bike Officer, SWAT team member, Gang Detective, and K9 Handler.
He and K9 partner Vader have been with the K9 Squad since August 2009. Vader is a German Shepherd Dog born in Holland in June of 2008. K9 Vader serves the Police Department as a Dual purpose Patrol and Narcotics K9.
Jinx
Jinx is a German Shepherd Dog born in September 2003 in Germany. He began his career serving the citizens of Salt Lake City in January 2006. His partner is Officer Tony Brereton.
Officer Brereton has served the citizens of Salt Lake City for 13 years. He has worked in various assignments including Patrol, Solo Motor Squad, and as a Hit and Run Detective. He was assigned to the K9 unit in January of 2006. Jinx is a dual purpose K9. He is certified as a tracking, apprehension, and drug dog. He has received his DPO2 certification.
During his time on the K9 Squad, Officer Brereton and Jinx have proven successful with multiple apprehensions, and drug finds on the streets. They have also competed as a team at several K9 Trials, having won multiple awards. Officer Brereton says the numerous trophies that take up the coffee table in the living room annoy his wife.
Brereton says Jinx is a great family dog. He lives with a Black Labrador (Harley), and a 3 lb Yorkshire Terrier (Tia) when at home. Although he could make an appetizer out of Tia he is willing to put up with her ear biting and harrasment by batting her around the family room. When Officer Brereton walks out of the bedroom with his Uniform on Jinx becomes a whole different dog. He'll go from lying on the floor to running around the house barking knowing it is time to go to work. He truly loves his job.
Moe
Moe is a Bloodhound born in Missouri in October 2005. He was purchased at the young age of 3 months at which time he began his training as a tracking dog. He began working the streets of Salt Lake City at the age of 11 months. His partner is Officer Randy Hunnewell.
Officer Hunnewell has been serving the citizens of Salt Lake City for over 20 years. During his time on the department he has served in various assignments including Patrol, SWAT, City Gangs, and Downtown Bike/Street level Drug Interdiction. He was assigned to the K9 unit in November 2006.
Moe is a single purpose police dog. He has proven highly effective in his ability to track and locate those that he is looking for. He has had dozens of apprehensions including a track that cover 3.5 miles.
Officer Hunnewell says Moe moved into their home and promptly took over the bean bag chair by lying on his daughters until they relinquished the space. Being a bloodhound his favorite food is anything he can get down his throat. But his true love is real butter, even at the risk of punishment.
Troll
Troll is a German Shepherd Dog born in Wormser Germany in June 2004. At the young age of 17 months Troll began his service with the Salt Lake City Police Department. His partner is Officer Cale Lennberg.
Officer Lennberg has been serving the citizens of Salt Lake City for 14 years. During his career with the Department he has served in the Patrol Division, and COP/Bike Squad. Officer Lennberg has been a member of the K9 Unit since May 2000. He began his K9 career with retired PSD (Police Service Dog) Elvis. Elvis was a very successful K9 with countless apprehensions and drug finds during his 6 year K9 career. Elvis is the only PSD from Utah to win 1st place overall at the Las Vegas K9 Trials. He currently is retired and living out his years at the residence of Officer Lennberg.
Officer Lennberg has a passion for K9 work and in January 2006 he was assigned his second K9 partner Troll. Lennberg and Troll worked diligently as a new team and won 1st place in both the West Valley Police K9 Trials, and the UPOA K9 Trial in 2007. This was a great accomplishment for such a young dog.
Officer Lennberg says Troll will wake early in the morning and howl non-stop until he is fed. Lennberg says he is considered a not so welcome alarm clock.
Junior
Junior is a Bloodhound born in Colorado in September 2008. He joined the SLCPD K9 unit at the young age of 5 month in February 2009. He tracked down his first bad guy during that same month. His partner is Officer Mike Serio.
Officer Serio has been serving the citizens of Salt Lake City for over 13 years. During his time on the department he has served as a Patrol Officer, as well as K9. He is the senior K9 handler on the SLCPD K9 Unit. Officer Serio began his K9 career in September 2009 with the late bloodhound J.J. He handled J.J. until March 2008 when J.J. retired. J.J. was the first bloodhound in the state of Utah. Due to the success of J.J. bloodhounds are becoming more common with several agencies within the state now using this breed of dog for tracking wanted and lost persons. Shortly after retiring J.J passed away following a courageous battle with cancer with Officer Serio by his side.
Junior is a single purpose police dog. He has proven highly effective in his ability to track and locate those that he is looking for. He has had several apprehensions in his short career and with Officer Serio’s tenacity he will surely have countless more.
Officer Serio says Junior has a habit of grabbing clothing out of the laundry basket, preferably his wife’s undergarments, and darting out the doggy door. Serio says once outside he tries to find a place to hide them in the yard.
Chase
Chase is a Bloodhound born in March 2007 in Missouri. When purchased Chase was only 9 weeks old with ears bigger then his body. He was assigned to Officer Lowe who began to train him while working in the Patrol Division. In March 2008 Officer Lowe and Chase became full-fledged members of the K9 Squad.
Officer Lowe has served the citizens of Salt Lake City for 6 years. During his career he has served in various positions including East Patrol, West Patrol, and Fusion Bike Squad. Officer Lowe has spent countless hours training his partner in an actual urban environment. That training has paid huge dividends having produced a successful K9 team with several apprehensions under his belt.
Officer Lowe says Chase is a typical bloodhound, always looking for an opportunity to locate and eat anything possible. He states Chase will make his way to the high chair to gather scraps of human food, even at risk of punishment. He has even been known to lick the food off of the babies face if given the chance. Chase also exhibits a tough guy attitude towards the lawn mower, but tucks tail and runs to the furthest point in the years when it is started. Office Lowe also states that Chase has a habit of picking and eating the apples from the tree in the yard.