Canine Operations

Welcome to the Wilmington Police Department Canine Unit webpage. The Unit consists of three canine teams working out of the Police Operational Response Team. Canine handlers must deal daily with a wide range of problems which test their patience, ingenuity, character, and knowledge as a police officer and a canine handler. They are expected to use excellent judgment and common sense at all times when using their assigned canine.

All our Canine teams are members of The United States Police Canine Association, which is a non-profit organization striving for the establishment of minimum standards for Police K-9 dogs through proper methods of training.

Properly trained Police Dogs are conditioned to do the following:

• Search buildings and areas for unauthorized persons.
• Track Criminals and search for lost children, etc.
• Search for evidence dropped by criminals.
• Search for narcotics, (Marijuana, Heroin and Methamphetamine).
• Apprehend, criminals fleeing a crime, arrest and/or protection of the Handler and fellow Officers.

Police K-9 dogs, properly trained and handled, give Law Enforcement officers one of the finest non-lethal aids in the prevention and detection of crime.

The United States Police Canine Association is the largest and oldest active organizations of its kind.