Idaho K-9 Training Conference comes to eastern Idaho

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - Throughout the week of May 6, 59 different K-9 officers and their partners will be in the Idaho Falls area to learn new tricks. This is due to the Idaho K-9 Training Conference that is taking place in eastern Idaho this year.

Those 59 officers represent 28 different agencies from all over the gem state. Idaho Falls Police Chief Bryce Johnson shares how these conferences take place all over the state, and their officers have been taken care of, so now it's a chance to pay it all back.

"Other areas of the state have always been very, gracious to our officers as they've traveled around the state and past years. We want to, pay that back to the things the other agencies have done for us over the years. So it's nice to have our turn to have the folks here," Chief Johnson said.

Sheriff Sam Hulse echoes Chief Johnson's words.

"It's awesome to pull in and see all the cars from all the different sheriff's offices and cities and folks that are here in town to train with us. It's a great opportunity for them to receive top-notch training, to hone their skills, and to take that back home to their communities," Sheriff Hulse said.

Training activities for the officers will be all over the region from Rexburg to Idaho Falls, so if you see a lot of officers in one place look for these indicators before you start to worry too much.

"The way you can tell is you'll see police cars from all over the state. You know, it's not just Idaho Falls or Bonneville County. I saw Twin Falls, Boise, Ada County, there's what, 30-plus counties in Idaho? Lots of cities. And so you got cars from all over the state...you got a couple of cars from out of the area and they're huddled together. They're probably trained in this week," Chief Johnson said. He added if the lights aren't on that should be another big giveaway that they aren't answering a call.

I spoke to a couple of K-9 officers from the Upper Valley who shared their excitement about participating in a training so close to home.

"It is nice to have a local one because we get to go home at the end of every day, which is kind of nice to not have to be stuck in a hotel for a week. it's also nice to bring other people from across the state and other states to our area to kind of show off some of the things we have to offer. Bring trainers from across the country to our area to help canines in this area as well. We're really excited to have everybody here," Rexburg Police Department officer Ally Greenhalgh said.

"We're having a lot of opportunities to do some training with, you know, commercial vehicles and rooms and buildings and, different things that we don't get the opportunity to do very often. So. And so, we're very excited about that. He's (my dog's) outside barking right now. He wants to come in and do some training," St. Anthony Police Department officer Hunter Gregory said.

Officer Greenhalgh shares how the day-to-day for a K-9 officer can change in an instant.

"Every single day is different, especially as a K-9 officer. It's a ton of fun. You get to run your dog through apartment complexes. You get to help other officers on traffic stops. We do a lot of PR with our dogs, so we do school demonstrations and community demonstrations. It's always something new and it's always something exciting," she said.

Sheriff Hulse shares how the conference can show the example the agencies and the community set for multiple agencies all over.

"We are an example to a lot of the nation, in the way that we support one another as law enforcement agencies and also how our community supports law enforcement. it's a big deal when we're able to showcase what Eastern Idaho has to offer. And I'm very proud of it and very proud of what we're able to do here," Sheriff Hulse said.

The training will be taking place all week, and the public is invited to attend a competition that will be taking place Friday at the Bonneville County Fairgrounds from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. to see how these officers preform.