Tulsa Police Department's bomb squad K9 Kyra retires after 8 years

An important member of the Tulsa Police Department's bomb squad is retiring after nearly eight years of service.

Kyra is an explosive detection K9, and the Tulsa International Airport held a retirement celebration for her on Wednesday. Kyra spent most of her time working at the airport, keeping travelers safe.

Kyra is trained to detect a certain odor found in explosive devices. She's done it for all her years of service, from hundreds of bomb sweeps at events at the BOK Center, marathons, and she's even worked security detail for two Presidential visits to Tulsa.

K9 Kyra’s Handler Officer Steve Dickson:

There's something special about the bond between a man and his dog, but that bond is even stronger between a police officer and his K9.

The relationship relies on mutual trust to do the work that saves lives. Officer Steve Dickson and Krya have worked together for the eight years. They spent most of their time at the airport checking bags and keeping travelers safe.

"Think about how much time you spend with your dog. A couple of hours a night or something when you get home from work. She's with me all day long. You're with them every day, all day,” said Dickson. "I would say it's the best job in the department. Others may argue, but it's pretty cool being able to work with a dog and take pride in what you do."

Kyra has done bomb sweeps at hundreds of events at the BOK Center, like concerts and NCAA basketball and wrestling tournaments. Krya did security details for President Donald Trump and Former President Joe Biden when they came to Tulsa. She also worked details for former Vice President Mike Pence and First Lady Melania Trump and Jill Biden’s visits to Tulsa.

Life after Retirement:

Now that Kyra is retired, she'll become Officer Dickson's pet, and let's just say it's still a work in progress. Dickson said Kyra is a working dog, so she needs something to do and when she doesn’t, she will find something to do.

"She broke out of her kennel, her little crate, and decided to find the snack shack in our pantry, and helped herself to some jelly beans, cookies, and all kinds of stuff,” said Dickson.

Officer Dickson now has a new K9, named Or-Dog, he will be training. TPD's bomb squad has five bomb detection dogs. They are paid for and contracted through TSA and work primarily at the airport.