Along with 13 other Police Officers being sworn in at the April 3rd council meeting, there will be a 14th Police Officer being sworn in and his name is Chiko. Chiko's human partner was one of the latest officers to be recruited through the police lateral transfer program which recruits officers from other municipalities rather than hire a new recruit and Chiko now joins him working for the East Providence Police Department both human and K9 partners come with training and experience ready to serve.
Chiko is a Belgian Malinois breed which is a medium-size Belgian Shepard dog that resembles a German Shepard. These types of breeds are often trained for police duty due to their great work ethic, speed and agility. Their size with being able to squeeze into smaller spaces is beneficial to what they need to accomplish on the job as well. At the city council meeting on March 6th, Police Chief Christopher Parella introduced Chiko saying that he will be sworn in and respected the same as any other officer because he is trained to give his life for a mission.