Photos: Canine cops display their training at LA County police event

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Air Rescue 5 hovered above West Torrance High School on Saturday. A rope dropped from the Super Puma helicopter before members of the department’s elite Special Enforcement Bureau, including a tactical K-9 unit, used it to descend to the field.

No emergency prompted the call; the helicopter and team were part of the 25th Annual Los Angeles County Police Canine Association Demonstration in Torrance.

The K-9 Demonstration and Educational Public Safety Fair featured K-9 teams from around Los Angeles County demonstrating their abilities. People could meet public safety professionals and learn about K-9 units and their role in law enforcement.

A mock car pursuit featured police vehicles following a car with flashing lights and sirens, circling the track before the driver emerged in a full-body padded bite suit. The K-9 wasted no time latching onto the suit to the applause of the crowd. A second agitator remained in the car, with the dog effortlessly leaping through the car’s window to finish.

The demonstrations included obedience, an obstacle course, taking down suspects, a friendly boxing match between a K-9 and a human, and trophies for the fastest and toughest dogs after they nudged out the competition.

Members of the Los Angeles County Police Canine Association come from police agencies in Los Angeles County and the California Highway Patrol.