Welcome K9 Officer Uman!

The Division of Public Safety is pleased to announce the newest member of the UPPD K9 Unit, K9 Officer Uman.

Maureen S. Rush, Vice President for Public Safety and Superintendent of Penn Police stated, “Our K9 Unit is a fantastic example of our dedication to the safety and wellness of the community, and continued relationship with the PennVet Working Dog Center. This partnership has allowed UPPD handlers to pair with the best and brightest K9 officers. We are thrilled to add Uman to our team.”

In September of 2020, K9 Officer Uman graduated from the Penn Vet Working Dog Center, and joined the UPPD. Uman then attended the Atlantic County “John Sonny Burke” K9 Academy for 10 weeks with partner Officer Julie Wesley, graduating as a certified ordnance detection canine.

As our newest sworn member of the UPPD, Uman will work diligently to ensure the safety and security of the University City community. In her role at UPPD, Uman will respond to calls about unattended packages and perform building sweeps before large-scale events and visits by dignitaries, as well as undertaking regular patrol of Penn’s campus and the surrounding area with her partner, Officer Wesley.

Uman, a Labrador retriever, is a descendant of UPPD K9 Officer Zzisa. Uman was a pup bred from the Penn Vet Working Dog Center (WDC), the offspring of sire Boomer and dam Pinto (K9 Officer Zzisa’s daughter). Inspired by the Search & Rescue Dogs that responded following the attacks on 9/11, the WDC serves as a national research and development center for detection dogs. K9 Officer Uman is named in honor of Jonathan J. Uman, who perished on 9/11 at the World Trade Center.

For more information on the WDC, please visit: www.pennvetwdc.org

Deputy Chief Fink, Officer Wesley, K9 Officer Uman, and VP Rush

You can follow K9 Officer Uman on Twitter! @OfficerUman