Sheriff's Police Service Dog Unit

The value of police canine teams is demonstrated in an increased level of deputy safety and more efficient use of patrol time. in 2002,  police supervisors identified opportunities for reinstating the Sheriff's canine program.

Sergeant Rene Stone coordinates K9 functions, with Deputies Dan Olsen and Donny Patterson assigned handlers in the course of their duties as patrol deputies.

With no discretionary county General Fund available, Sheriff's employees set out on a community fundraising effort that resulted in our ability to field two police service dog teams. Please see our  K9 Donor List: this work unit woud not exist without the generous support of community donors.

2004 Activities

The year brought 293 opportunities for K9 deployment, resulting in 56 suspect captures. The numbers demonstrate the degree to which the K9 unit acts as a "force multiplier."  Authorized staffing levels limit the number of deputies available for any scene, making traditional perimeter and search operations more complex. Use of K9 increases the likelihood for locating suspects who have fled the immediate area and decreases search time. 

458 hours were dedicated to unit training. This number is directly tied to successful captures and a lowered injury rate through force application.