K-9 Division
The Chisago County Sheriff's Office K-9 Division supports and provides an additional specialized resource for patrol officers and investigators in increasing the effectiveness in the detection and prevention of crime, as well as the apprehension of criminals, and provides protection and enhanced safety for officers and citizens.
Why Use K-9’s
The K-9 Division employs 2 patrol officers with specialized skills and highly trained K-9’s to support the sheriff’s office in meeting its law enforcement mission. The K-9 teams provide all the duties of patrol officers with the additional capabilities of the trained K-9’s.
The greatest value of the K-9 teams lies in the ability of each dog’s keen sense of sight, smell and hearing, which aid and enable the teams to track and locate missing or wanted person, locate evidence or lost property, apprehend fleeing or combative fugitives, and pinpoint hidden contraband.
The K-9 teams provide a positive public image of the sheriff’s office expertise and efficiency. Regularly, the K-9 teams must train to maintain their proficiency to remain deployed as an operational asset. This constant training of the teams maintains a high level of readiness, ensuring the Chisago County community that each K-9 team is prepared for any eventuality.
In addition to the law enforcement mission, the K-9 Division performs public demonstrations and visits to local schools and civic organizations.
The Chisago County Sheriff’s Office K-9’s have many skills that make them a valuable tool for law enforcement.
Area Search
The K-9’s can search large areas for contraband and illegal drug interdiction, as well as for suspects, and locates them using their heightened sense of smell.
Building Searches
The K-9’s can enter a building and search it for an intruder in a fraction of the time it would take officers.
Criminal Apprehension
In the circumstance of a fleeing felon or violent individual refusing to surrender to law enforcement, the K-9’s are trained to physically apprehend suspects and render them into submission for law enforcement to take them into custody.
Drug Search
The K-9’s are trained to detect the odor of illegal narcotics. They are an extremely important tool in the fight against drugs in our community. When the K-9’s indicate the odor of narcotics, it gives law enforcement probable cause to search.
Tracking
The K-9’s use their heightened sense of smell to detect the path of fleeing criminals or missing children / adults. K-9’s use a combination of the scent of the individual and also the disturbed ground scent a person makes when they step. They can track across many surfaces that include concrete, grass, sand, and gravel.
The K-9’s are considered Deputy Sheriffs and have their own equipment issued by the sheriff’s office. They ride in special patrol cars that are set up to ensure K-9 safety and comfort. The patrol cars have their windows tinted to help minimize the heat. They also have temperature alarms that lower the windows and sound the horn if the interior temperature gets too high. The patrol cars have special cages built into them for K-9’s. They have rubber mats and are ergonomically designed for comfort and safety. The cages have a water dish that allows the K-9’s to stay hydrated throughout their shifts. The patrol cars also have additional lighting on them to maximize their visibility.
The K-9 Division is committed to serving its community and providing the highest quality of service to its citizens. If you wish to request a demonstration, you may contact:
Want to help?
- Donations can be mailed to the Chisago County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Division - 15230 Per Road - Center City, MN 55012.