Pacific Northwest Police Detection Dog Association Executive Board and Directors.
President. Fred Helfers.
Fred Helfers career in law enforcement has covered 28 years. Fred worked 22 of those years as a Narcotics Detective who actively worked two Narcotics Detection Canines. Fred worked as a Police Officer with City of Everett Police Department WA. (Retired 2004) and has over 30 years’ experience, handling and training detection canines. Fred is a past President of the Washington State Police Canine Association, (two terms 1986 through 1990.) and the founding President of the Pacific Northwest Police Detection Dog Association. Fred Helfers expertise in detection canines is recognized internationally and he has conducted training seminars on detection canines for Law Enforcement agencies in the United States, Canada, Brazil and Australia. Fred Helfers is also a member of Scientific Working Group on Dog and Orthogonal Factors (SWGDOG) and is recognized as one of 55 national and international scientists, trainers and practitioners developing public safety service dog best practices.
Vice President: Gord McGuinness.
Gord McGuinness is a twenty nine year member of the Vancouver Police Department in British Columbia, Canada. He was a K9 handler for 15 years and over that time worked 4 police service dogs. Once promoted to the rank of Sergeant, Gord returned to the Dog Squad as the Sergeant in charge of the Unit and took on the portfolio of Head Trainer. As Trainer, Gord introduced the first single purpose narcotic and explosive detection dog teams in the history of the Vancouver Police Department. His responsibilities included the acquisition and training of 21 general duty, and 4 detection dog teams. During his 7 year tenure as Sergeant Gord also work his own general duty and an explosive detection dog. Gord has worked closely with Association President Fred Helfers over the last 15 years and was one of the co-founders of the Pacific Northwest Police Detection Dog Association.
Secretary/Treasurer: Brian Lehr. Brian has been employed by the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office since March of 1994. Prior to that Brian worked as a provisional reserve with Ferndale PD for 4 yrs. Brian has attended and completed a Narcotics Detection/K-9 Handler course conducted by Master Trainer Fred Helfers at Cedarhome Kennels and have been a K9 handler since September of 96. Brian has also attended Desert Snow Phase 4-Advanced Highway Drug Interdiction/Commercial Vehicles, Drug Enforcement for Patrol Officers, Operation Pipeline Highway Drug Interdiction with EPIC and DEA, W.S.P.C.A Narcotics Canine Training. Desert Snow Phase 1,2,and 3- Advanced Highway Drug Interdiction Training, Narcotic K-9 Interdiction Training-Florida Multi -Jurisdictional Drug Task Force. Brian recently retired K9 “Nikki” from the sheriff’s office. Brian has assisted in teaching narcotic interdiction training courses for patrol officers, and coordinated the highway drug interdiction program for Skagit County, WA along the I-5 corridor with the assistance of U.S. Customs, W.S.P. and Immigration Officers . Brian also maintained the school drug interdiction program throughout the county school system.
Master at Arms:
Brian O’Dell. United States Border Patrol – CBP. Conference Instructor.
Became a Border Patrol Agent in March 1996 in Cotulla, TX. And graduated the Border Patrol Detection Canine Handler School in September 1998 with my first canine Vinnie, a six-year-old German Shepherd. Vinnie retired in August 2001 and I trained with a second German Shepherd named Axel. While a canine handler, I received drug interdiction training from U.S. Customs, the DEA, and Operation Pipeline. I also participated in the Drug Demand Reduction Program similar to DARE. In June 2002, I graduated from the Border Patrol Canine Instructor School. I then began a new Cotulla Station canine program and turned the program over to another instructor when I transferred to Bellingham, WA in August 2002. In Bellingham, I began a new canine program and am the Sector Canine Coordinator/Instructor. As an instructor, I have helped train new instructors, new canine handlers, and green dogs. I also have helped train a canine team for the Yuma P.D., the El Paso P.D., the New Mexico State Patrol, and the Donna Anna County S.O.
Director of Training: John Eckhart – Portland Police Bureau – (retired) Conference Instructor.
Retired Assistant Chief of Police John Eckhart has found that he has more time to devote to dog training and has been the training coordinator for the set-up of this year’s seminar. John began his police canine career in 1986 as a Police Service Dog Handler in Portland, Oregon. John has worked and trained Patrol Dogs, Cross Trained Dogs and Single Purpose Detection Dogs for over 25 years. He started Portland’s Detection Dog Program in 1991 and handled the first Detection Dog for the Portland Police Bureau. John is a two-term past president of the Oregon Police Canine Association (OPCA) where he started the Detection Dog component of that association. John authored the State of Oregon Police Animal Protection Legislation which created the law that makes it a Felony Crime to kill or seriously injure a Police Animal; to include Dogs, Horses, etc. John is a Certifying Official for the Pacific Northwest Police Canine Association and a Master Trainer for the Oregon Police Canine Association. He has served as a judge in the World Police Fire Olympics K-9 competition as well as numerous other competitive canine events. John is currently the detection dog trainer for the Washington County Sheriff’s Office here in Oregon.
Director of Certifications: Sgt. Dave Beck Oregon State Police. – Conference Instructor
Sgt. Dave Beck was hired by the Oregon State Police in 1987. From 1987 thru 1991 Sgt. Beck was very active in highway interdiction along the I-5 corridor. In 1990 Sgt Beck began to instruct other law enforcement members from agencies throughout the west coast on Criminal Interdiction techniques. In 1991 Sgt. Beck obtained his first detection canine “Cazzie”. Sgt. Beck has worked detection canines since that time and retired his second canine “Beepers” in April, 2007. Sgt. Beck has instructed at several canine seminars over the past 17 years to include the IPCA conference in Florida ( 1997) and is a regular instructor with the Pacific Northwest Police Detection Dog Association. He has served as a judge in the World Police Fire Olympics K-9 competition. Sgt. David Beck is the state coordinator of nine drug detection dog teams for the Oregon State Police.
The Department’s drug detection canine teams support the Patrol and Criminal divisions field force within Oregon State Police and additionally provide support to federal state and local law enforcement agencies.