Riverside County Sheriff's Dept. K-9 Competition Begins Friday

Law enforcement officers and their four-legged partners will compete Friday and Saturday in Norco to score points for takedown tactics, handling, coordination and other skills in the 23rd annual Riverside County Sheriff's Department K-9 Trials.

About 60 teams are expected to take part in the two-day event at Ingalls Equestrian Center. The first day won't be open to the general public, but the arena will be open to visitors on Saturday, during which a public safety fair is also planned, according to organizers.

The competition is expected to draw handlers and canines from across the state and country.

Contestants will be asked to demonstrate competence in a variety of scenarios that are judged. Some of the demonstrations involve narcotics searches, "runaway engagement'' in which dogs chase down suspects, and explosives detection, according to organizers.

Other exercises will require the teams to exhibit how well partners work together and whether canines are following commands on cue, as well as the dogs' proficiency in negotiating obstacles.

The public safety fair will feature representatives from area fire departments, the sheriff's Hazardous Devices Team, Mounted Posse and Aviation Unit.

Admission on Saturday is free and open to the public, and law enforcement officers and their dogs are expected to interact with visitors.

More information is available at http://www.riversidesheriffk9t... .

City News Service contributed to this report/Image via David Allen/Shutterstock