The K-9 Unit of the Hawthorne Police Department has four officers assigned to duty. They are:

• Officer Frank Miller and "Boy" (Belgium Malinois)
• Officer Steve Colquette and "Boney" (German Shepherd)
• Officer Kim Iller and "Roscoe" (German Shephard) Officer Eric Martin and "Brett" (German Sheperd)
• Detective Johnson and "Heidi" (Labrador). "Heidi" is a narcotic dog.

The K-9s used in police work are highly trained. The Officer and K-9 train at least 160 hours prior to actual field service. Each K-9 team trains a minimum of 3 times a month in a formal setting. The K-9 officer spends hundreds of hours a year training his/her dog in the areas of tracking, obedience and handler protection.

K-9 teams also appear at various community events to demonstrate K-9 searches and to provide education to the public. If you are interested in having a K-9 team at your meeting or event, contact the program coordinator, Sgt. Steve Romero at (310) 349-2823.