ARLINGTON — The Arlington Police Department introduced its newest personnel to the City Council June 1, as Public Safety Director Bruce Stedman presented Officer Justin Olson for his badge-pinning, and noted Officer Seth Kinney’s new duties as partner to the K-9 named “Oso.”

Olson’s badge was pinned on by his wife of four years, Megan, whom he met during his eight years in the Air Force, with an assist by their daughter, Olivia.

Olson was hired by the city Nov. 24 of last year, and graduated from the Basic Law Enforcement Academy of the state Criminal Justice Training Commission May 28.

Olson began the 20-week, 720-hour class five months ago, and was selected by his peers to serve as a squad leader, which put him in charge of five other recruits.

Stedman cited the accolades Olson received for “his natural leadership, quick learning, and his professional and effective policing style.”

On May 29, the day after his graduation, Olson started his first shift as part of a three-phase field-training program, which is designed to mentor, teach and evaluate new officers through a 14-week training. During these three months, Olson will become familiarized with policies, procedures, geography and culture of Arlington.

“The Basic Law Enforcement Academy creates the foundation, but the field-training program designs, refines and crafts the new officer into who they will be as a law enforcement officer for the rest of their career,” Stedman said.

Olson must demonstrate he can perform at a “Solo Officer Standard” before being released from the program, and he will then begin a one-year probationary period.

Moving on to the K-9 team, Stedman summed up Kinney’s career as a patrol officer, a school resource officer and now a K-9 handler since being hired by the Arlington Police Department on Dec. 1, 2007. By contrast, Oso was born in Slovakia on Nov. 3, 2014, and was imported to the United States by Vohne Liche Kennels in November of 2014.

In March, Kinney traveled to the Vohne Liche Kennels in Indiana to begin the process of selecting a canine partner.

On March 29, Kinney and Oso began the basic narcotics canine class, under the direction of Snohomish County Deputy and Master Trainer Jim Gibson.

Over the next five weeks, Kinney and Oso spent more than 200 hours learning and refining their skills in the detection of heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, crack cocaine and ecstasy.

Kinney and Oso graduated from the narcotics course, and were certified by Gibson as a narcotics canine team, on April 29.

Stedman elicited laughter from the crowd as he described Oso as “an even-mannered police dog,” since Oso was pacing and jumping at the time, but the audience was impressed with Oso’s detection record to date, which has resulted in the location of more than 1,100 grams of methamphetamine and 700 grams of heroin, as well as the recovery of four stolen firearms recovered and the seizure of more than $18,000 in cash proceeds from drug sales, within four weeks.

Stedman emphasized that Oso’s name was chosen only after consulting with the communities that had been impacted by last year’s slide. Those residents deemed it an appropriate tribute.