K-9 Unit

The Rehoboth Beach Police Department reinstituted the K9 Unit  in March of 2006.  The K9 Unit consists of handler, Cpl. Jaime B. Riddle, and K9 Dina.  K9 Dina is a female Duty Shepard born on February 24, 2004.  K9 Dina  was imported to the United States from Holland.

Cpl. Jaime Riddle & K9 Dina

In March of 2006 the Rehoboth Beach Police Department purchased K9 Dina from Vohne Liche Kennels in Denver, Indiana.  The Department also enrolled Cpl. Riddle in a six-week K9 handler school at Vohne Liche Kennels.  Cpl. Riddle and K9 Dina completed their initial training in April of 2006, achieving a dual purpose (narcotics / suspect apprehension) certification.  Also, while enrolled at Vohne Liche Kennels, Cpl. Riddle and K9 Dina  also achieved dual purposed certification through the American Work Dog (AWD) Association. 

Upon returning to Delaware, Cpl. Riddle and K9 Dina furthered their instruction and began training and certifying with the Delaware State Police K9 Unit.  Cpl. Riddle and K9 Dina first achieved dual purpose certification with the Delaware State Police in June of 2006.  Cpl. Riddle and K9 Dina continue to actively train and certify with the Delaware State Police K9 Unit as members of narcotics detection and suspect apprehension update training groups.

In March of 2009, Cpl. Riddle and K9 Dina achieved dual purpose certification through Ventosa Kennels in Scotland Neck, North Carolina after completing a five-week training course.  During this training course, Cpl. Riddle and K9 Dina received instruction from K9 Trainer Tracy Cowling in numerous K9 disciplines.  The training allowed the team to work inside Ventosa Kennels' 70,000 square foot training facility to conduct suspect tracks and area searches on the 5,000 acre plantation attached to the kennels.  (For further information on Ventosa Kennels, go to www.ventosakennel.com.

As a result of all of the above-listed training, K9 Dina is certified to perform many tasks while on patrol with the Rehoboth Beach Police Department.  Throughout her training K9 Dina has received certification in the following K9 disciplines. 

• Narcotic Building Searches

• Narcotic Area Searches

• Narcotic Vehicle Searches

• Narcotic Parcel Searches

• Scent Distinctive Suspect Tracking

• Suspect Apprehension Building Search

• Suspect Apprehension Area Search

• Suspect Apprehension from Patrol Vehicle

• Suspect Apprehension with Multiple Targets

• Suspect Apprehension with K9 Recall

• Suspect Apprehension with Gunfire

• K9 Obedience

• K9 Agility

The Rehoboth Beach Police Department is also proud to say that K9 Dina received a departmental Life Saving Award in January 2009 for the successful track of a missing suicidal female that was hiding in the dunes of the Delaware Seashore State Park.  The suicidal female had taken a large amount of pills and fled into the beach dunes and dune vegetation.  As a result of K9 Dina locating her, she was able to be transported to Beebe Medical Center for treatment. 

Some examples of evidence recovered with the assistance of K9 Dina: