Dale Phipps, Chief of Police

200 Shelby Street • Kingsport, TN 37660

http://KingsportTN.gov/City-Services/Police-Department• www.KingsportPDBlog.com

Officer Carrie Phillips is K.P.D.’s first female K-9 Handler. Officer Phillips began her law enforcement career in December 2018 as a Corrections Officer at the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office. In September 2020, she was hired by the Kingsport Police Department and sworn in as a Police Officer.

After graduating from the Police Academy and completing the Field Training Program, Officer Phillips was assigned to the Patrol Division. In February 2022, although still fairly new to law enforcement, she did not hesitate to apply for an opening in the K-9 Unit and was ultimately selected to be a handler.

Next began the search for Officer Phillips’ new partner. K.P.D. soon reached out to Logan Haus Kennels in Lewisburg, West Virginia, a well-respected breeder and training ground of high caliber Military and Police K-9s, where two of the department’s former K-9’s originated.

Officer Phillips and a team of veteran K-9 handlers made the three and a half hour trip to West Virginia to complete some initial on-site vetting of an available dog, and upon being impressed by his performance, decided to bring him back to Kingsport to join the department’s K-9 Unit.

Officer Phillips named her new partner Whiskee. Whiskee is a two-year old Belgian Malinois. He came to K.P.D. completely green, having received no formal training. As such, Officer Phillips and Whiskee completed an intensive 8-week in-house K-9 training school under the tutelage of some of K.P.D.’s veteran K-9 trainers and handlers.

Officer Phillips and Whiskee excelled in their training, and on June 17, 2022 they were officially certified through the National Narcotic Detector Dog Association (NNDDA) at the Blount County Sheriff’s Office Regional Law Enforcement Training Academy in Maryville, TN.

Whiskee is certified as a “dual-purpose” police K-9, meaning he is trained for both general patrol work and drug detection applications. His certified patrol functions include such things as building search, criminal apprehension, evidence recovery, obedience, tracking, area search, etc. He is certified to detect drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine.

Now fully trained, Officer Phillips and Whiskee are patrolling the streets of the City of Kingsport, assigned to the K.P.D. Patrol Division’s 4th Platoon. They join three other K-9 teams in the K.P.D. K-9 Unit to include Officer Billy Boyd and his partner Reko, Officer Travis Bates and his partner Jimi, and Officer Robbie Hughes and his partner Kylo.

Kingsport Police Department Professional Standards Unit

423-229-9433 (Desk) • 423-343-9749 (FAX)

ThomasMPatton