K9
Unit
SBPD's K9 unit is
assigned to the uniform patrol division. It is comprised of seven teams.
Each team consists of an officer and his/her loyal canine companion. The
Canine Unit has become a great asset to the officers of the South Bend Police
Department and the citizens of South Bend.
Since
it's simple beginnings in the early 1960's the unit has grown to seven teams.
There are three teams assigned to the afternoon and midnight shifts. The seventh
team is assigned to the day shift.
Canines and their human partners who pass the initial selection process undergo
a full ten week training course before assignment to the unit. The starting age
of the average police service dog is 15 months. The average career for our dogs
is six years. Upon ending his career, the canine is allowed to live in "retirement"
with his handler.
Our canines aid patrol officers in many aspects. These
include: building searches, area searches, tracks and article searches. Two
of the dogs are specialized in the areas of narcotics and explosives detection
respectively.
| Meet
the K9s and K9 Handlers (2006 photos) | | | | | | | | | |
|