At the Radnor Township Police Department, K-9 Units are an essential tool in the fight against crime. A canine’s superior sense of smell allows them to not only detect minuscule odors undetectable by their human law enforcement counterparts, but to distinguish these odors from an array of distracting and/or more powerful odors. Their keen eyesight, used in the wild to detect prey, supplements this sense of smell to make them unmatched locating tools. Canines are not only intelligent and trainable, but they adapt well to new and changing situations, a constant in the unpredictable world of law enforcement.

These K-9 teams are composed of a handler assigned to a specific canine partner. Currently, the RPD K-9 Unit utilizes three German Shepherd canines:

K9 Rocky assigned to Officer Jennifer Cocco who specializes in explosive detection.

K9 Onyx assigned to Officer Brett Greaves who specializes in narcotic detection.

K9 Urrsi assigned to Officer Ryan Collins who specializes in explosive detection. 

 The K9 Unit provides the following services:

• Preventative patrol units
• Perform safety checks, keeping unauthorized persons out of restricted areas
• Track fleeing subjects
• Support on delivery of warrants and high-risk arrests
• Search for explosives
• Search for missing people
• Search facilities more efficient, faster and safer
• Deter crime and keep order
• Provide higher level of officer safety
• Reduce resistance during apprehension
• Public relations (K9 demonstrations)

K-9 teams are utilized to support uniform road patrol officers. When the K-9 officers are not using their canine partners, they assist with the various calls for service.