The El Segundo PD K-9 unit started in 1981 and since then we’ve had 19 canine teams, including our current team.

Our current team consists of Officer Slover and his partner Xena. Officer Slover has been a Police Officer for nine years and became a K-9 handler in May of 2021.  Xena is a seven year old Belgian Malinois from Czechoslovakia and Officer Slover had to learn Czechoslovakian commands to communicate with her.

Xena is trained to find suspects who are hiding from the police and bite them if necessary.  She is also trained to find items, which suspects have hidden from the police or citizens have lost. Xena will receive training in the near future to locate hidden narcotics or bombs. Xena goes home with Officer Slover every night and lives at his house with him. On her days off, Xena enjoys playing ball and hanging out with her brother Charlie (a Golden Retriever).