TUCSON, Ariz. — The University of Arizona Police Department has a new member on the squad.
Canine officer 'Skip' was sworn in Friday by UAPD Chief Brian Seastone.
Skip is a 22-month-old chocolate Labrador.
He was trained in Washington state and is certified by the National Police Canine Association in explosive detection.
UAPD says his strong sense of smell is a welcomed addition to the team.
Skip will be partner to 16-year veteran of UAPD, Lauren Connell.
Connell said " His sense of smell is absolutely amazing so just in the training and watching what he does. You know we go out and we visually look for things but he is able to track that down from quiet a distance away and hes able to alert me to that and show me where something might be hidden where we can't see very quickly."
The department was able to welcome skip to the team thanks to funding from the Southern Arizona Law Enforcement Foundation.
