North Chicago officer a certified K-9 trainer

Submitted by the city of North Chicago

Officer Donald Florance and his partner Six make up the North Chicago Police Department K-9 unit.

Officer Florance, a 19-year NCPD veteran has been a police dog handler for nine years, with Six being his second partner.

K-9 officers are invaluable to the departments they serve. When the canine is released from the leash it is known as a "track." On one recent track, Six located two individuals who fled a serious auto accident that resulted in injuries to other motorists. The apprehended driver was charged with multiple felony charges.

In addition to his regular duties as a police officer, Officer Florance also serves as a nationally certified K-9 trainer.

There are an estimated 205,339 canine police officers in the United States today. However, there are only 41 trainers accredited by the North American Police Work Dog Association, with Officer Florance being the only active accredited trainer in the state of Illinois.

With police dog numbers rapidly increasing in United States law enforcement, individual agencies must adhere to extremely high standards and training, oversight and enforcement. Accredited trainers are volunteers who educate and help maintain stringent standards among their K-9 handler peers.

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