Local K-9 Team Finishes Second in National Competition | Community Spirit

Great news for Alexandria Law Enforcement!

The Alexandria Sheriff’s Office K-9 team took second place overall in explosives detection at a national competition last week.

Sherman, a six-year-old Labrador retriever and his partner, Deputy John O’Hara, competed at the United States Police Canine Association’s National Detector Dog Field Trial against 80 K-9 teams from across the country from Sunday, May 20 through Wednesday, May 23, in Lakeland, Florida.

The explosives trials consisted of an odor recognition test, searches of three areas, and five vehicles full of hidden explosives.

In their daily lives, the team investigates suspicious packages, conducts safety sweeps of the Courthouse, Detention Center and other public buildings, and attends community events where they demonstrate training and detection techniques. They have been working together since 2007.