On Thursday, December 7 at 3:00 PM, the Grand Forks Police Department will formally welcome its newest member. Chief Mark Nelson will be swearing in K9 Hart, with his handler, Cpl. John Klingbeil.
K9 Hart is an 18-month-old male German Shepherd. The GFPD obtained K9 Hart from McDonough K9 in the fall of 2023. K9 Hart and Cpl. Klingbeil recently graduated from basic training from the McDonough K9 basic handler course. This challenging basic program lasted 14 weeks, beginning August 21, 2023. The team trained and certified in a variety of specialized skills, including tracking; area and building searches; locating discarded evidence, obedience; suspect apprehension; and much more. K9 Hart joins fellow K9s Shelby, Riot, and Kade on the Grand Forks Police Department.
The swearing-in ceremony will take place at the Grand Forks Police Department (122 South 5th Street) in the Media Center.
