Crime & Safety
Photos: Maryland Police Graduates Three Bloodhounds
Officials held the K-9 graduation at the state training facility in Sykesville.
"Red," "Tallulah," and "Tayaut" were joined with their new handlers at the ceremony on Wednesday at the after completing a five-week modified training program, bringing the total number of trained K-9's in Maryland to 36, according to the release.
Nine of those are assigned to state police, and 19 are currently active, according to the release.
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"Traditionally, bloodhounds are utilized in law enforcement missions for trailing and tracking criminal suspects or for searches of a missing person," it states. "The olfactory capabilities of a bloodhound provide distinct advantages in trailing human scents."
Red and Tallulah will be handled by Senior Trooper David Yates and Trooper First Class Melissa Bender, respectively, and work with the state police.
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Red and Yates will be assigned to the Cumberland barrack, while Tallulah and Bender will work at the barrack in Glen Burnie.
Tayaut will work for Prince George’s County Police and will be handled by Cpl. Donald Smith, becoming the department's third bloodhound on duty.
The dogs bypassed the 10-week training requirement for graduation because they had prior experience, according to the release.
The Maryland State Police bloodhound program has been in operation since 1961.
This information was provided in a Maryland State Police press release.
