Police K9 Units
Paul Doddridge
Cmdr. T. Fields
Introduction to Law Enforcement
30 July 2011
New York Police K9 Units A police dog, often referred to as a K-9 dog in some areas is a dog that is trained specifically to assist police aand other law-enforcement personnel in their work. In many jurisdictions the intentional injuring or killing of a police dog is a felony subjecting the perpetrator to harsher penalties than those in the statutes embodied in local animal cruelty laws, just as an assault on a human police officer is often a more serious offense than the same assault on a non-officer. A growing number of law-enforcement organizations outfit dogs with ballistic vests and some make the dog’s sworn officers, with their own police badges and IDs. Furthermore, a police dog killed in the line of duty is often given a full police funeral. In 1975, the New York State Police created the Division Canine Unit. These canines were purchased from the United States Army for the sum of $ 10,000.00. The canines were put into service solely as explosives detection canines in preparation for the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, New York. The Baltimore Police Department was chosen as the training agency. This agency possessed one of the largest canine units in the United States and they were experimenting with a new method of training that came to known as the “Baltimore Method”. The new method of training dictated that the canines be sociable, allowed to be in and around the general public, and reside in the handlers residence. Most canines up to this point were extremely aggressive and kenneled when not in use. This method is still one of the most prevalent training methods in the United States. In 2000, the Canine Unit found a permanent home in Cooperstown, New York. The Canine Unit was provided with a state of the art training facility unmatched anywhere in the United States. The Facility is a 10,000 square foot colonial style structure set on
Cmdr. T. Fields
Introduction to Law Enforcement
30 July 2011
New York Police K9 Units A police dog, often referred to as a K-9 dog in some areas is a dog that is trained specifically to assist police aand other law-enforcement personnel in their work. In many jurisdictions the intentional injuring or killing of a police dog is a felony subjecting the perpetrator to harsher penalties than those in the statutes embodied in local animal cruelty laws, just as an assault on a human police officer is often a more serious offense than the same assault on a non-officer. A growing number of law-enforcement organizations outfit dogs with ballistic vests and some make the dog’s sworn officers, with their own police badges and IDs. Furthermore, a police dog killed in the line of duty is often given a full police funeral. In 1975, the New York State Police created the Division Canine Unit. These canines were purchased from the United States Army for the sum of $ 10,000.00. The canines were put into service solely as explosives detection canines in preparation for the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, New York. The Baltimore Police Department was chosen as the training agency. This agency possessed one of the largest canine units in the United States and they were experimenting with a new method of training that came to known as the “Baltimore Method”. The new method of training dictated that the canines be sociable, allowed to be in and around the general public, and reside in the handlers residence. Most canines up to this point were extremely aggressive and kenneled when not in use. This method is still one of the most prevalent training methods in the United States. In 2000, the Canine Unit found a permanent home in Cooperstown, New York. The Canine Unit was provided with a state of the art training facility unmatched anywhere in the United States. The Facility is a 10,000 square foot colonial style structure set on