South San Francisco PD Adds Gun Detecting K-9 To Its Ranks

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO -- The City of South San Francisco Police Department has a new four-legged addition -- "Tex," a specially trained K-9 to detect guns. He's the first specialist of his kind in San Mateo County, according to the SSFPD.

Tex is able to find concealed guns in homes, outdoor areas, cars, and many other locations by detecting odors a gun emits. He completed three months of training to get certified in gun detection and is now on the streets, assisting not only the South San Francisco Police Department, but other jurisdictions as needed.

"Sadly, guns are more prevalent now in today's society, so having a K-9 that can detect guns is one more step in addressing these growing issues by getting guns off the streets and out of the wrong hands," South San Francisco Police Chief Jeff Azzopardi said.

"It is an honor to handle such a well-mannered and intelligent dog," Tex's handler and partner, Officer Adam Kerrigan said. "Tex's ability to locate guns will be a great asset to the department in our continuing effort to keep the community safe by being able to locate and take illegal guns off the streets."

The City of South San Francisco's Police Department has a total of seven K-9s trained for patrol and narcotics: two are assigned to the SWAT team, and two serve on federal task forces.