CSUN Police Introduces Tank, Its Newest K9 Member

K9 Tank is the Newest Addition to the CSUN PD K9 Unit!

K9 Tank, a 17-month-old black Labrador, and his partner Officer Nick Canady have completed Vapor Wake K9 Training and are now on patrol! Unlike the traditional explosives detection method which focuses on static objects, Vapor Wake training allows for Tank to sniff out persons with suspicious substances moving throughout a large crowd. K9 Tank and Officer Canady are CSUN PD's 9th K9 Team.

K9 Daisy & Her Partner Officer Virgil Messmore

K9 Daisy and her partner Officer Virgil Messmore are CSUN PD’s 8th K9 team! Following the passing of K9 Mitch in December 2016 and retirement of Cpl. Tom Finnerty and his partner Isy in March 2016, Officer Messmore was selected after a competitive process in an effort to rebuild the CSUN PD K9 Unit, first formed in 2005. Daisy, a yellow Labrador Retriever, is the sixth K9 in CSUN PD’s history. Officer Messmore joined the department in February 2016, following 25 years with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department where he spent time on patrol in the college town of Isla Vista.

A Brief History of CSUN PD K9 Teams

The Cal State Northridge PD K9 unit was launched in 2005 in response to ongoing concerns with emergency preparedness following the events of September 11, 2001. As one of the two K9 units in the CSU system (Channel Islands being the other), the CSUN PD team has gained wide recognition on campus and in the law enforcement community.

Current and previous CSUN PD K9 teams have provided security for world leaders such as former President George Bush and First Lady Laura Bush, Secretary of State Condolezza Rice, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Senator John McCain, Senator Hillary Clinton and then Senator Barack Obama. CSUN PD's K9 teams have also provided security detail for The Golden Globe Awards and Former First Lady Nancy Reagan's Funeral in Simi Valley.

History of CSUN PD K9 Teams:

Officer Ray Gonzalez and his partner Briska (2005-2007)