Phoenix police begin using canines on light rail, buses
Jun 22, 2016, 3:18 PM
Two of the dogs that will be on Phoenix-area light rail and buses are shown. (KTAR Photos/Kathy Cline)
(KTAR Photos/Kathy Cline)
PHOENIX — The public transportation system in Phoenix is going to the dogs.
But the animals you may see on the city’s light rail and bus lines are not pets, but canine officers trained to sniff out bombs and other harmful items.
Phoenix Police Sgt. Bryan Hanania said the dogs were loaned to Phoenix by the Transportation Safety Administration.
“We have various aids that key the dogs up to remind them of what they’re looking for,” he said, adding that the dogs train constantly.
Light rail and bus passengers will see the dogs regularly as they are on daily patrols. They will also be used at other big events around the Valley.
Hanania said people love the dogs.
“All of them are very social,” he said. “They can be pet, you just have to ask the handler.”
