Fort Collins Police Services adds Explosive Detection dog to K9 team

Public Information Officer, Fort Collins Police Services

Fort Collins Police are proud to welcome a new member to the K9 team.

K9 Gunnar is 21-month-old black Labrador Retriever. He comes to FCPS from a nationally-recognized Auburn University K9 breeding and training program, instructed in cooperation with VWK9 in Anniston, Alabama. Since 8 weeks of age, Gunnar has been progressing through intensive training focused on detecting body-worn or carried explosives within crowds of moving people. This patented system is known as Vapor Wake® detection.

In addition to his ability to accurately screen dozens of passing people at a time, Gunnar can also screen static objects like a traditional explosives detection K9. He and his new FCPS handler recently completed a two-month training program and have started working in high-traffic pedestrian areas around Fort Collins.

“The special event scene in Fort Collins continues to grow, and K9 Gunnar will help provide an additional level of security at large community gatherings,” said Chief Terry Jones.

Gunnar is a single-purpose K9, meaning he is not trained to search for drugs or apprehend suspects. He is very friendly but was trained to be socially neutral to both people and other animals in order to work most effectively. Onlookers will be asked to avoid petting or directly interacting with him when he is working.

All Fort Collins Police K9s live with their handlers for the duration of their careers. In addition to Gunnar, FCPS has four dual-purpose K9s who are trained in narcotics detection and suspect apprehension.