Stockton Police Chief, K-9 Freya Win Explosives Title at Atlantic City Trials

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ — Atlantic City hosted a national police canine competition this week, and Stockton University Police Chief Tracy Stuart and her K-9 partner, Freya, finished on top.

The pair won the explosives detection division at the United States Police Canine Association’s 2026 National Detector Dog Trials with a perfect score at Harrah’s Atlantic City.

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The win marked the second national title for Stuart and Freya, a 10-year-old golden retriever. Their previous national championship came in 2022 in Georgia. Stuart also previously won national titles with her former K-9 partner Hemi in 2018 and 2019. According to a press release, Stockton hosted the 2018 competition on campus, but this year’s event was moved to Harrah’s because classes are still in session.

“It doesn’t quite feel real, to be honest,” Stuart said. “Dreams do come true. It’s beautiful to really have that reinforcement of the fact that preparation really does pay off.”

Stuart said hosting the event in Atlantic City gave Stockton a chance to highlight both the university and the city, where the school also has a campus.

“It was great to have the ability to showcase Stockton and the great city of Atlantic City, where Stockton also has a campus,” she said. “I think the university endeavors to support worthwhile causes, and I like to know that they are acknowledging the importance of resources that provide safety and security, not just for our university population, which is paramount, but also for the community at large. We want the public to know that safety is important to the university.”

More than 100 law enforcement agencies from across the country, including teams from Texas and Oregon, took part in the trials. During the competition, handlers and dogs were tested in odor recognition and searches of parcels, vehicles and rooms to locate hidden explosives. Stuart said Harrah’s set aside an entire floor of the hotel for the event.

Some first-time national competitors also praised the Atlantic City setup.

“I haven’t been back to Stockton since graduation, so I jumped at the opportunity to come,” said Rob Balestrieri, a detective with the Trenton Police Department who competed with his 5-year-old black lab, Vita. “It was very enjoyable. I like the way that Stockton set everything up. There was a lot of space for us to do what we needed to do with the dogs.”

Because of Freya’s age, Stuart said this could be the dog’s last competition, though not the end of her service work.

“I don’t know what tomorrow’s going to bring. Her performance is obviously stellar, so she’s still going to be protecting and serving, but competing is different,” she said. “I know Stockton has a good dog to protect and serve this community.”