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The Gainesville Police Department Canine (K-9) Unit is assigned to the Operations Bureau with the primary focus of supporting the Patrol Division. GPD currently has five working K-9 teams. Each team consists of a GPD officer and a German shepherd purchased with donations from the Gainesville community. The K-9 teams provide close to twenty-four hour coverage, seven days a week. Prior to working the road, the teams go through a rigorous 400-hour basic handler course which prepares them for the many situations they will encounter once they begin protecting the streets of Gainesville. The K-9 teams are evaluated prior to working the road and must re-certify annually to ensure they maintain the high level of proficiency required. Upon completion of the canine handler course, the teams train continually to maintain the highest degree of preparedness for duty. As a part of their daily procedures, K-9 teams are responsible for responding to all in-progress calls and any situations where the dog may be utilized. The use of K-9s greatly minimizes the danger to officers performing tasks such as tracking and searching for suspects in heavily wooded and urban environments, searching and clearing burglarized buildings, and apprehending fleeing suspects. Officers’ effectiveness in the field is greatly enhanced by the K-9 Unit’s ability to track missing persons and locate evidence discarded from crime scenes. In addition to sniffing out suspects, the dogs are capable of detecting several types of illegal drugs that would otherwise be impossible to find. The K-9s are regularly utilized on traffic checkpoints, routine traffic stops, and in searching area schools and other facilities for illegal narcotics and contraband. Additionally, the K-9 Unit provides numerous public demonstrations throughout the year at several community events. The police dogs provide an invaluable service not only to their human counterparts but also to the community as a whole. If your organization is interested in having a public demonstration or you are interested in making a donation for a future canine purchase contact SGT Jaret Weiland or CPL Timothy Durst. Sgt. Jaret Weiland at (352) 334-2421 |
