Sheriff K9 Unit: Protecting Brevard County with Canine Power

The Brevard County Sheriff's Office has a dedicated K9 Unit that plays a vital role in keeping the community safe.

The unit consists of highly trained dogs and their handlers, who work together to detect narcotics, track suspects, and perform other critical tasks.

These canine teams are equipped with specialized gear, including bulletproof vests and tactical equipment.

Their work is a testament to the power of human-canine partnerships in law enforcement.

A different take: Police Canine Unit

The Brevard County Jail Complex is home to a talented K9 unit.

Their Bloodhounds are trained for tracking wanted persons and searching for missing persons.

These skilled dogs live in a kennel on the Jail grounds and are teamed up with Corrections Deputy handlers.

The teams are members of the FDLE Child Abduction Response Team and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s Team Adam.

In addition to the Bloodhounds, the Jail also has a German Shepherd trained for narcotic detection.

Canine Sherlock, a cadaver dog, is part of the team and holds certifications through the International Police Working Dog Association and the Tennessee Search and Rescue Dog Association.

Sherlock has a National Center for Missing and Exploited Children / FBI Cadaver Certification and has been called to duty many times, even assisting in disasters outside of Brevard County.

The Sheriff's K9 Unit is a vital part of law enforcement, consisting of highly trained dogs and their handlers. These canine teams are trained to perform a variety of tasks, including tracking missing people.

K-9 Vito, a Gonczy Polski, specializes in human tracking and has been a deputy with the Merced County Sheriff's Office K9 Unit since 2018. He and his handler, Deputy Rouse, work together to find missing, wanted, or lost individuals.

K-9 Marley, a 4-year-old Yellow Lab, detects narcotics and media devices during search warrants. She also assists the Special Response Team (SRT) with compliance checks and the Merced County Correctional Facilities in locating contraband.

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K-9 Bingo, a 1.5-year-old Bloodhound, joins the team with a focus on locating wanted, lost, or missing people. She's still a young dog, but she's already making a difference.

K-9 Nikko, a 3-year-old Labrador retriever, was born in Washington and is certified in detecting 11 different explosive odors. This skillset is crucial in keeping communities safe.

Here are some key facts about the Sheriff's K9 Unit:

K-9 Cooper, a 4-year-old German Shepherd from the Netherlands, is certified in criminal apprehension and firearms detection. He's a valuable asset to the team.

The Merced County Sheriff's K-9 Unit has a rich history dating back to 1963 when the first K-9 Corpsman was formed.

The first K-9 Corpsman was formed with Deputy Sheriff Jess Bowling and his German Shepherd dog, Jim, who were assigned to the Westside area of Merced County.

Sheriff John Latorraca believed a dog was better than assigning additional deputies since a dog can be utilized to search darkened buildings where its extra powerful senses can easily track down a hidden person.

The unit has come a long way since then and has expanded to include several skilled K-9s.

Here are some of the K-9s currently serving with the Merced County Sheriff's Office K-9 Unit:

Each of these K-9s has been trained to assist their handlers in various tasks, from tracking down missing people to detecting narcotics and explosives.