COLLEGE POINT — Eight new anti-terrorism K9 dogs graduated at the police academy on Wednesday, with their importance highlighted by the police commissioner in the wake of the Brussels terror attacks.
The dogs, all Labrador retrievers, are assigned to the NYPD's Vapor Wake unit, which detects explosives worn on the body and chemicals.
"These K9s perform on a level that far outmatches, and often outperforms, both man and machine," Chief James R. Waters, the Chief of Counterterrorism, said at the graduation.
"The eight dogs that graduate today are among some of the most advanced and highly trained law enforcement working K9s in the world."
Born in Alabama, the 2-year-old dogs began training with their police officer handlers in December, although they'd received basic training since birth, officials said.
The dogs moved in with their police officer handlers in January, and they'll stay there through their career.
"These guys already know what they're doing," Police Officer Scott Marucheau, who won "best in class" at graduation, said.
"You learn how to read the dog, learn how to handle the dog. We work as a team — some days he has a bad day, some days I have a bad day."
Marucheau's dog, Paulie, a chocolate brown Lab, is named for Sgt. Paul Ferrara, who died in August 2014 as a result from cancer he developed after working on the rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero.
All of the eight dogs are named for police officers who were either killed in the line of duty or died from 9/11 cancer.
One dog, Randy, is named in honor of Det. Randolph Holder, who was killed last October while chasing a suspect in East Harlem.
Ford is named for Det. Horace Ford, who was killed during a bank robbery in Queens in 1978.
It's a way to keep their memory alive, Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said.
"Naming the K9s after your loved ones, we're continuing the promise that we'll never forget," he said at the ceremony, which was filled with family, friends and former colleagues of the slain officers.
At a press conference following the ceremony, Bratton said the dogs like the eight who graduated Wednesday help protect the city from terror attacks like the one this week in Brussels.
You can't stop people from moving, he said, but "these dogs can detect" as people move around.
