Detective Robbie Turner, an officer of 4 years and his canine partner, Becka, with 2 years of experience are part of the canine explosive detection team with  the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms (ATF)  Canine explosive program.  Detective Turner went through an extensive training academy with the ATF canine program in Front Royal, Virginia where he and Becka became partners in September 2004.

Becka was born May 2, 2004 and currently weighs 65 pounds.  Becka is trained to detect over 16,000 different types of explosives through scent recognition.  Detective Turner and Becka work events through out the year including basketball, football and dignitary protection.   The K-9 team has also assisted in the Washington State Ferry system, sweeps for the governor of Kentucky, the Kentucky Derby, the United States Golf Open in Pinehurst North Carolina and also assist other law enforcement agency’s for lost guns or bullet casing’s all around the state of Kentucky. 

The University of Kentucky is the second University/College police department in the United States to have an ATF explosive detection canine.  Currently the  only other team in the state of Kentucky with an ATF explosive detection K-9 is the ATF field office located in Lexington, Kentucky. 

The K-9 team was funded through a Homeland Security Grant and part of the contract with the ATF is to provide assistance to local, state and federal law enforcement agency’s upon request.

Detective Turner provides training with Becka on a daily basis to help obtain her scent recognition and lives with Detective Turner whenever they are currently not working.