NAMI starts her day like any other police officer: she straps on her vest, buckles her badge and goes to work at the station. The most significant difference between NAMI and the other officers is that she is a 1-year-old Labrador-mix, but her job is just as important. NAMI is a mental health support K9 for the Beverly Hills Police Department (BHPD). The Courier visited NAMI at work, where she patrols the station, providing comfort and motivation to coworkers with her large, expressive eyes and floppy ears.
At the end of September, NAMI traveled to Garden Grove for the West Coast Support Canine Conference and Certification Seminar hosted by the Garden Grove Police Department and Guide Dogs of the Desert. As part of the four-day conference, NAMI successfully completed a number of tasks that involved crisis intervention, witness and victim interview scenarios and outdoor field work.
