Inside the LAPD K9 Unit: Officer Maricela Corral’s Story
The Los Angeles Police Department honors Women’s Heritage Month with K9 Officer Maricela Corral, who shares her career journey, influences, and current role within the department.
After graduating from the Police Academy and serving on patrol, Corral joined the Mounted Police Unit, where she built a strong foundation in animal handling. She has since spent six years in the K9 Unit.
Corral credits the women in her life as major influences, including her mother, who became the family’s sole provider, and her sister, a more than 20-year veteran of the LAPD. Seeing her sister and brother-in-law succeed in the department helped solidify Corral’s decision to pursue a career in law enforcement, recognizing the opportunities it provides.
She emphasizes the importance of Women’s Heritage Month in inspiring young girls, especially those without strong female role models, and believes her role as a female officer can help expand their sense of what’s possible. Corral currently partners with Dart, a seven-year-old Belgian Malinois, in her K9 duties. Despite the risks involved in searching for felony suspects, she values the strong bond they share. Her message to young women considering law enforcement is simple: go for it.
#LACityResidents
After graduating from the Police Academy and serving on patrol, Corral joined the Mounted Police Unit, where she built a strong foundation in animal handling. She has since spent six years in the K9 Unit.
Corral credits the women in her life as major influences, including her mother, who became the family’s sole provider, and her sister, a more than 20-year veteran of the LAPD. Seeing her sister and brother-in-law succeed in the department helped solidify Corral’s decision to pursue a career in law enforcement, recognizing the opportunities it provides.
She emphasizes the importance of Women’s Heritage Month in inspiring young girls, especially those without strong female role models, and believes her role as a female officer can help expand their sense of what’s possible. Corral currently partners with Dart, a seven-year-old Belgian Malinois, in her K9 duties. Despite the risks involved in searching for felony suspects, she values the strong bond they share. Her message to young women considering law enforcement is simple: go for it.
#LACityResidents