The Indiana State Police Pendleton District has added a Patrol K-9 team to its District with the graduation of Senior Trooper Eric Perkins and his partner Mika last Friday at the Indiana State House in Indianapolis. The ceremony graduated two new State Police K-9 teams, bringing the total number of the agency’s teams to 42 statewide. They become the second K-9 team to operate out of the Pendleton post.
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Perkins, a 14-year veteran, and Mika, a 1 ½-year-old Dutch Shephard, recently completed 12 weeks of intense training in which they accumulated 400 hours of training in narcotic searches, aggression control work, building searches, tracking, article searches and obedience. She is certified in the detection of narcotic odors related to methamphetamine, cocaine, crack cocaine, ecstasy and heroin.
The K-9 academy is operated under the direction of ISP Master Trainers Sergeant Dennis Wade, Master Trooper Kevin Waters and Master Trooper Chris Richey.
Perkins was an officer at the Ball State University Police Department for four years. He graduated from the 66th Indiana State Police Recruit Academy in 2006 and was appointed to the Redkey Post. Perkins transferred to the Pendleton Post in 2010.
During his career Perkins has served as a member of the Tactical Intervention Team, Honor Guard, Methamphetamine Team, and served as a Field Training Officer.
Senior Trooper Perkins currently resides in Yorktown with his wife Nicole and his daughter Rylie.