Treasure Coast Sun

On an unseasonably warm day in mid-April, the Port St. Lucie Police Department’s K9 Unit conducted its weekly training at McCarty Ranch Preserve. The unit's five working dogs—Ciro, Ronin, Bodhi, Jaxson, and Landi—remained cool in air-conditioned patrol cars while their human partners prepared for the afternoon's exercises.

As handlers grabbed leashes, signaling work time to the K9s, muffled barks filled the air. Officer Michael Bianco guided K9 Ciro through an obstacle course. “Up! Off! Good off!” Bianco praised as Ciro navigated a white ramp. After completing his task, Ciro received pats and a toy from Bianco. “Good boy, yes! Good boy,” he said.

The Port St. Lucie Police Department’s K9 Unit is integral to crime-fighting efforts in the city. The highly trained dogs and officers utilize skills such as tracking suspects, locating missing persons, detecting narcotics and explosives, and conducting area searches.

Officer Will Harris has been with the PSLPD for 22 years and has served as a K9 officer for 19 of those years. His partner Bodhi is a Belgian Malinois named after Patrick Swayze’s character in "Point Break." Harris described the job as both exciting and challenging but emphasized the bond between officer and dog: “As bad as the job could possibly be at times, you always have that partner with you.”

The unit trains together for 10 hours weekly at McCarty Ranch to refine individual and team tactics. Basic obedience drills are followed by more complex exercises like real-life scenarios and vehicle extractions.

Currently composed of four narcotics/patrol teams and one explosive team, the unit selects its dogs from Metro Dade Canine based on attributes such as search ability and tenacity. Once selected, each dog undergoes 600 hours of Florida Department of Law Enforcement-compliant training with its handler to build essential skills and relationships.

“The dogs don’t form a relationship with a human until they come to us,” Harris explained about this crucial bonding period.

After certification, continuous training ensures that teams maintain high standards; they must pass nationally recognized certifications every six months throughout their careers.

Harris noted that being a K9 officer is an around-the-clock responsibility: “It’s the only 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week job in law enforcement because that dog comes home with you.” This commitment extends into personal life; Harris takes Bodhi on family vacations.

Officer Corey Krecic has been involved with K9 units since high school when he was an Explorer with the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office. He joined PSLPD in 2016 and quickly immersed himself in decoying—a critical role likened to that of a boxing coach by Krecic: “If you’re a really good decoy...you could train a dog.”

Krecic's partner Jaxson is also part of his family routine but shifts gears once on duty: “Hopefully we can get into something good,” he said about deploying their dogs during high-priority calls.

Looking ahead, Krecic aims to become a trainer or assistant trainer within the unit: “Nothing’s better than being able to find something that no one else can...and seeing Jaxson get excited.”

Harris shares this enthusiasm: “Every time we look for somebody and accomplish our mission...it’s the most exciting thing I could ever imagine doing.”