The Prescott Valley Police K-9 Unit consists of four K-9 teams. The purchase of our canines was made possible through generous private donations and grant funding from the Yavapai County Community Foundation (YCCF). Since 2004, YCCF has supported the department’s K-9 program by providing funding for the dogs, canine and handler equipment, specialized vehicle equipment, and tactical K-9 training.
Program Benefits
Our canines are valuable assets in fighting crime and making our community safer. K-9 Officers Layton Cooper, Caleb Cozens, Justin Ellison and Paul Hines, along with their canine partners, participate in many hours of training to perfect their skills and maintain their certifications.
Searches by our K-9 teams have resulted in the seizure of large quantities of drugs, and thousands of dollars in cash and property obtained through illegal drug activity. Our canines are also responsible for numerous suspect apprehensions and arrests for crimes ranging from burglary to attempted homicide. The success of our K-9 teams also comes from assisting other agencies in Yavapai County. We routinely help with law enforcement and training activities.
Layton Cooper & Kion
Officer Layton Cooper is partnered with K9 Chewy. Officer Cooper has been employed by the town as a Police Officer since January 2013.
Caleb Cozens & Chewy
Chewy is handled by Officer Caleb Cozens.Officer Cozens previously worked for the Chino Valley Police Department for six years, two of which were spent with PANT. While he entered PANT with an eye to moving on to K9, Cozens found he was well suited to narcotics investigations. When he moved to the Prescott Valley force, he continued his education and waited for a K9 position to come open.
Justin Ellison & Kato
The department's newest K-9 Officer, Justin Ellison works with Kato. Officer Ellison has worked with the Prescott Valley Police Department since January 2017.
Officer Paul Hines & Groot
Officer Paul Hines is an NPCA (National Police Canine Association) trainer who trains Prescott Valley Police Department's K9s as well as certifies other departments' Officer/K9 teams. He currently works with PVPD K9 Turco and is training a young Belgian Malinois, Groot, (pictured) that he recently brought back from the Netherlands in Summer 2018. Officer Hines has worked with the Prescott Valley Police Department since 2009.
Mission
As always, the mission of the Prescott Valley Police Department and the K-9 Unit is to enhance public safety, reduce the incidents of crime as well as the fear of crime, and to improve the quality of life for the diverse community we serve.
More Information
For questions regarding our K-9 Unit and for anyone who is interested in assisting the K-9 Unit by making a donation to help train, care for and maintain our K-9s, please contact Lt. James Gregory at 928-772-5148 or by emailing James Gregory.