COBLESKILL, N.Y. (NEWS10) – The University Police Department at SUNY Cobleskill has added a new police dog to its forces. Reyes, a nine-month-old German Shepherd, has recently completed training and received certification from the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services in explosives detection, alongside Officer Carlianne Ferretti. The two are now trying to get certified in patrol, tracking, and article detection.
Ferretti previously served as a campus handler with TJ, a police dog that retired in early 2020. According to University Police, the name “Reyes” celebrates the tradition of naming K9 officers after fallen heroes. It is a tribute to former University Police Officer Angel Reyes, who passed away in 2017 following a 30-year career in public service, 14 of those years at SUNY Cobleskill.
“When recruiting, we look for a K9 with a high drive that is able to complete tasks on command and that possesses a very even temperament to succeed within our dynamic campus community. We chose a German Shepherd because of their history of reliability in police work,” said Richard Bialkowski, chief of the University Police Department.
Once K9 Reyes is fully certified by the academy, he will patrol SUNY Cobleskill’s 900-acre campus. SUNY Cobleskill said they are proud to have K9 Reyes, Officer Carlianna Ferretti, and the University Police Department, who serves their campus with distinction, keeping the campus safe, and honoring the memory of Officer Angel Reyes.