Canine Detection Team
Corporal Rocha and K9 Porto
Corporal Rocha and K9 Porto make up the University Police Department's Detection Team. Cpl. Rocha and Porto have been a team since December 2022. Porto is a 3-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer who was born in Belgrade, Serbia.
Porto's role within the department involves conducting protective sweeps of suspicious packages, office buildings, classrooms, and lecture halls on campus. This extends to various venues and occasions, such as sporting events and concerts at the Walter Pyramid, high-profile meetings at the Chancellor's Office, and commencement. The Detection Team also provides dignitary protection, responds to bomb threats, and is often requested to assist local, state, and federal agencies.
Additionally, Porto can often be seen attending campus events and participating in community outreach activities where he enjoys interacting with students, faculty, and staff.
To maintain their certification, the K-9 team must attend monthly training and complete a yearly detection test. Porto has successfully completed the National Odor Recognition Test (NORT), hosted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and explosives (ATF), which evaluates a canine team's ability to detect 10 fundamental explosive odors.
Retired K9 Avery
Avery, a yellow Labrador Retriever, was ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ's first Detection Dog and worked with the University Police Department for 7 years. She is now happily retired with her handler, Sgt. Gonzalez.
