K-9 Unit

Murphy and GRPD K9 Officer Justin Edmundson

Police dogs have been a very essential part of the Grand Rapids Police Department since 1996.  The purpose of the Police K9 unit is to assist Patrol Officers in narcotic investigations, tracking missing or lost persons, building searches, locating articles, and locating suspects. The canine unit is used in conjunction with Patrol Officer on traffic stops, high risk stops in locating suspects who may have fled, and investigations on search warrants.

Not only is the Grand Rapids Police Canine used to help assist and protect officers, these four-legged Officers are also used to help protect members of the community.  They participate in local events such as National Night Out, Tall Timber Days, Riverfest, and help with area DARE classes.

Ahoj (Greetings) from Murphy, the newest K9 cop to join the Grand Rapids Police Department. “Murph” is the non-noisy partner of Officer Justin Edmundson. The polite and even-tempered German Shephard is a two and half year-old native of the Czech Republic, a country known for providing over a half of all police dogs to American police forces (Newsweek – Sept 2016).

The Czech Republic formerly Bohemia used German and Belgian shepherds to protect its borders prior to the 1989 revolution and the fall of communism. The dogs boast a superior bloodline. Their genetic make-up and temperament make them the desired working dog for international law enforcement. Murph spent his first two years in the Czech Republic – his first language is West Slavic Czech. He even needed his own passport to come to the U.S.

K9 Handler Justin Edmundson is a native of Deerwood, MN. He earned his Criminal Justice degree from Bemidji State University and joined the GRPD in the summer of 2014. Officer Edmundson is a go-getter and has been involved in multiple roles within the police department. He was a school resource officer (SRO) for three years at Robert Elkington Middle School. He is a DARE officer, member of the 1000 Lakes Swat Task Force, an active shooter instructor, and taser instructor.

Murph lives with the Edmundson family – his kennel is in the attached family garage. Justin said Murphy is a wonderful addition to their family and other household pets. He is their protector and understands his off and on switches, home versus work.

Murphy’s name was derived from Michael Patrick Murphy, who was a United States Navy SEAL officer. He was awarded the military’s highest decoration, the Medal of Honor for his actions during the War in Afghanistan. He was the first member of the United States Navy to receive the award since the Vietnam War. Michael was affectionately known as “Murph” and “The Protector.”

Edmundson and Murphy bonded over three months of training at McDonough K9 in the North Metro area. The first hurdle, overcoming language barriers. Murphy barked to Justin, “Mluvite angliky – do you speak English?” Edmundson had to learn to give commands in Czech. There are about fifteen basic commands that handlers often interchange with their own English. Sedni means sit, Lehni means lie down, and Zustan means stay. The dogs are trained using positive reinforcement, praise, treats, and on a rare occasion, a stim collar.

K-9 Murphy joined the Grand Rapids Police Department in 2023 as a dual-purpose dog, meaning he is trained in patrol work as well as narcotic detection, the whole time working loyally alongside Officer Justin Edmundson

Chief Andy Morgan said, “Building collaborative relationships to keep our community safe through service, education, and enforcement is the Grand Rapids Police Department’s mission statement.” He concluded, “There is extreme excitement to see how this partnership enhances the police service we provide to this wonderful community.”