UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (DC News Now) – The Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD) has officers working around the clock for gun-related crimes. But since November 2024, the department has had a new member on these cases: Kimber, the department’s four-legged detective.
K9s aren’t new to the department, but Kimber is special. She’s the only firearm detection K9 in the department, and her impact is felt on the job and in the hearts of the officers that work with her.
“I’ve been with the county police department for a little bit over 18 years…working with Kimber since our training started last year, this has been the most rewarding part of my career,” said Kimber’s handler, Michael Genung.
Though she’s only two years old, Kimber has been used more than 55 times to help solve cases, officials detailed. She’s trained to smell specific chemicals that only come from recently used firearms.
Her ability has given the county’s police important evidence in cases. PGPD said one of her best moments was finding a gun related to the shooting of a child back in the fall. Something that only Kimber can do.
“No human can do that. You have no idea where a firearm might be,” said Genung. “What she can do in a house in 15, 20 minutes would take investigators over an … hour and a half to search.”
Kimber will continue to work crime scenes and look for discharged weapons, and the department is confident that she’ll have more great finds and keep the county safer.
