NYPD welcomes nearly two dozen K-9 officers

RANDALL'S ISLAND - The NYPD has recruited some "pawfect" new members of the force!

Nearly two dozen dogs are now officially K-9 officers.

The NYPD held a graduation ceremony on Randall's Island on Thursday morning for the new canine cops.

The specially trained Labradors and German Shorthaired pointers will now work with the department's counter-terrorism operations after 8 to 10 weeks of training.

At least 10 of the new four-legged officers were named in honor of officers who died from 9-11 related illnesses.

What is required of a K-9 dog?

Dogs are responsible for conducting facility searches, the NYPD said. 

These searches are often in conjunction with other entities such as:

• The Emergency Service Unit
• The Intelligence Unit
• The Special Search Team

The canine team is made up of German Shepherds and Labradors to patrol the outer and inner perimeters of Rikers Island on every tour, monitor inmate outdoor recreation, respond to disabled vehicles with inmates on board, respond to disturbances within the department and a passive border collie canine to inspect all inmate’s in-coming mail.