k9 unit
Suspect Apprehension
K9s are trained to locate and apprehend a suspect who is fleeing or hiding. Deploying a K9 to apprehend a suspect increases the level of officer safety, and often provides a much faster resolution to a situation.
Drug Detection
K9s are responsible for locating narcotics in vehicles, closed packages, in buildings and at crime scenes. They are specially trained to detect specific types of drug odors, and to alert their handler to their presence. As a member of the patrol team, they are able to quickly respond to traffic stops where there may be drugs in a vehicle.
Tracking/Area Searches
Patrol K9s are often used to track suspects who have fled from officers or crime scenes. They use their incredible sense of smell to detect small changes in surroundings, and/or scent coming from the suspect. Thanks to their acute sense of smell, a K9 can search a building in less than half the time it would take for a team of officers to do the same job. Their skills don't end with suspects however, and they are often deployed to help search for missing people, including children.
Evidence Searches
K9s are often used to locate evidence that may have been tossed by a suspect and which is needed for evidentiary purposes. They are trained to alert to the article, which provides a much quicker and more efficient way of searching an area.