It's been a big week for the Chattanooga Police Department's (CPD) K9 Unit, as the three teams representing the department earned their certifications and collected seven awards including Top Dog for Narcotics which qualifies them for the United States Police Canine Association (USPCA) National Police Dog Field Trials.
The multi-day event tested nearly 40 K9 teams from Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee in narcotics detection, criminal apprehension, article search, and obedience. CPD not only hosted the event but also proved to be a top competitor, earning the following awards:
MPO Lucas Timmons and K9 Burt (the unit's veteran canine)
- 2nd Place - Narcotics Detection (Room Search)
Ofc. David Gerity and K9 Sully
- 1st Place - Criminal Apprehension
- 1st Place - Narcotics Detection (Room Search)
- 1st Place Overall - Narcotics Detection (Top Dog)
- 2nd Place Overall - Dual Purpose K9s
- 3rd Place Overall - PD1 Division
- 2nd Place - Article Search
With their First Place Overall in Narcotics Detection, Ofc. Gerity and K9 Sully have officially qualified to compete at the USPCA national competition in Abilene, Texas in September.
Rounding out the three teams, Ofc. Frisco Sherill and K9 Tatonka successfully certified in their first-ever USPCA Trial - a strong and promising start for both.
During the awards ceremony, MPO Paul Winkelman was presented with the Medal of Valor for Dedicated Service in honor of K9 Diesel, who died in the line of duty in September, 2025. This recognition serves as a reminder of Diesel's loyalty and sacrifice.
The USPCA is the nation's oldest and largest police K9 organization, certifying K9 teams in patrol and narcotics detection. These certifications are not required by all law enforcement agencies, but they are required at CPD. The certification means that every CPD K9 team has met nationally recognized, high-standard benchmarks for proficiency in law enforcement tasks and demonstrates the team's ability to operate safely and effectively in the field.
From the 10-year-old veteran to the newest member of the pack, CPD's K9 unit - both dogs and handlers - continues to demonstrate why they're all top dogs as far as we're concerned.