VTA Introduces New Canine Team
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority now has two full time explosive detection canines on the job. Yoshi and Nala were purchased for the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Transit Patrol with a grant from the Department of Homeland Security.
The canine officers and their Sheriff’s Transit Patrol handlers completed their last week of training before Thanksgiving and will begin patrolling the VTA system as early as November 27.
These two additions to the Transit Patrol canine unit are exclusively for bomb detection. Their jurisdiction spans across VTA’s 346 square mile bus and light rail service area.
In addition to full-time work with VTA, the dogs will also support the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad which is available for mutual aid to other agencies.
One notable characteristic about these dogs is their friendly temperament. They’re trained to detect potentially dangerous devices in large crowds, but do so in a way that is not threatening to people. That temperament allows them to work efficiently while navigating potentially large crowds.
While they may look and behave like cute and cuddly Labs, there is no mistaking their serious mission: to keep VTA passengers safe and secure. Safety is VTA’s #1 priority.
