NEWPORT BEACH : Azir Picks Up Scent for Newport Police

Azir, a 2-year-old German shepherd whose mission is to take a bite out of crime, joined the Newport Beach Police Department on Thursday as his predecessor, Tommy, retired after five years on the K-9 force.

“These dogs are a tool that we use to get the odds a little more in our favor,” said Officer Mike Johnson, who is Azir’s handler and partner. Johnson will go through five weeks of training with Azir before the two go on patrol in March.

Tommy, an 8 1/2-year-old German shepherd, will retire at the home of his partner, Officer Jeff Cantrell, where he will be a family pet. Trained in narcotics detection, human detection and tracking, Tommy once found 5 ounces of cocaine hidden in the air ducts of a truck and sniffed out 12 pounds of marijuana in the trunk of a car.

Cantrell, a 20-year police veteran, will return to the patrol division as a field officer.

Dogs are usually assigned to an officer for six years, about as long as a dog can endure police work, Johnson said.

“These dogs go under a lot of stress,” he said, as well as rigorous training weekly.

The Police Department has three K-9 units, including Johnson’s. They are assigned to cover various parts of the city.

K-9 dogs “are pretty smart. When you get into a relationship, they are really loyal and they want to meet that command,” said Johnson, who was previously a bicycle patrol officer. “K-9s are a great deterrent for those who may be thinking about committing a crime.”