K-9 UNIT
SONORA POLICE DEPARTMENT K-9 UNIT
The Sonora Police Department K-9 Unit was founded in 2022 and has grown to become an invaluable tool and asset to the City of Sonora. The K-9 Unit consists of one K-9 team, Officer Watson and K-9 Ridge.
The Sonora Police Departments canine can be used in a variety of ways and deployed on shift. One of the most common uses is for drug detection when patrol officers have arrested a suspect and have probable cause to believe illegal drugs may be present in vehicles, buildings or other locations. Because of the extensive training the canines receive and their acute sense of smell, they are extremely proficient in locating hidden drugs. They often locate illegal drugs in areas where a patrol officer cannot see.
Sonora Police Department canine is also trained to locate and apprehend violent criminal suspects. With their extensive training and sense of smell, they often locate hidden suspects in locations where officers may not have been able to safely locate them. K-9 dogs are very proficient at tracking and locating suspects that have fled crime scenes, searching large open areas such as parks and parking lots, and building searches including crawl spaces and attics.
In addition to finding and apprehending the actual suspects, the canines can also be used to locate articles dropped or hidden by fleeing suspects, such as weapons or clothing.
RIDGE
K-9 Ridge is a 3 year old long hair German Shepherd.
How We Help The Community
Drug Interdiction / Response to Other Agencies Calls for Assistance
The goal of the K-9 Unit is to protect the citizens, apprehend suspects and add to the safety of the
Officers. Services include:
* Apprehension of criminal offenders
* Assist in missing persons cases
* Searches of buildings and property
* Narcotics detection
* Provide public awareness demonstrations
The use of a K-9 team increases the safety of everyone involved including the officers, victims,
members of the public, and the suspects.
Common Questions About SPD’S K-9 Unit
Q. Where do the dogs live when they are not working?
A. The canine reside with his handler in their residence when not on duty and becomes part of their family. This gives the dog a chance to socialize with people other than the handler and to have a secure location so they can recover from the stress of a normal working day.
Q. Are these dogs vicious or dangerous?
A. No. On the contrary, these dogs are very social and friendly and the selection process for the dogs stresses these points when bringing new K-9’s onto the force. Although each dog has a distinct personality, just as people do, the dogs are comfortable around people. It is important, however, to always ask the handler for permission to pet the dog as they are trained to protect the handler from a sudden attack and may misinterpret a sudden movement towards them as a threat. In addition, because of the strenuous nature of the work they do, the dogs occasionally develop sore spots which the handler is generally aware of and can help you avoid. As with all animals, it is never a wise choice to tease the dogs.