The Costa Mesa K-9 Program was established in 1987 and deployed its first Police Service Dog (PSD) in 1988. As of 2024, there have been ten CMPD K-9 Handlers and twelve PSDs that have patrolled our streets and protected the citizens of Costa Mesa. Due to organizational changes, the K-9 program was temporarily dissolved in November of 2013.

In 2018, CMPD reestablished a K-9 Program. The program currently consist of K-9 Handler Maridakis partnered with K-9 Bodi and K-9 Handler McMorris partnered with K-9 Aran. Bodi is a Dutch Shepard and Aran is a Belgian Malinois, both imported from the Netherlands.

Bodi and Aran are dual-purpose K-9s certified in patrol, apprehension, and narcotic detection. CMPD K-9 teams are assigned to field operations to assist patrol officers with building searches, area searches, evidence searches, high-risk traffic stops, narcotics detection and the apprehension of violent criminals. Additionally, our K-9 team often assists the CMPD Special Investigations Unit for narcotic detection and the CMPD SWAT team with high-risk operations.

K-9 Bodi and K-9 Aran also participate in community demonstrations and educational seminars at local schools and community events.