The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office started a canine program in 2005.  The agency started with two canine teams assigned to the Oakland International Airport and quickly grew to seven teams within the first year.  The Sheriff and the community saw the advantages the canines offered and the unit quickly grew to sixteen teams.  Out of the sixteen canine teams currently operating within the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, four are assigned to the Oakland International Airport and work under the TSA.  Two other canine teams are also assigned to the Oakland International Airport and they work under the direction of the Sheriff’s Office.  All six of the canine teams assigned to the Oakland International Airport are explosive detection teams.

The Sheriff’s Office also has two other canine teams which are trained in explosive detection and assigned to Eden Township Patrol Station.  These dog’s breeds vary ranging from Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois.

The Alameda County Sheriff’s office also has eight canine teams assigned to patrol.  Some of our patrol teams are crossed trained in narcotics.  The canines are trained in locating Methamphetamine, Marijuana, Cocaine (both powder and rock) and Heroin. Each year our canine teams have recovered over a half a million dollars worth of drugs.  The canines have also assisted in the seizure of over one million dollars.

These same canine teams are also our most visible and utilized teams as they are all assigned to patrol details.  Of the eight canine patrol teams, six are assigned to our Eden Township Patrol Station and two are assigned to Dublin Police Services. The patrol teams are all assigned to work a beat as well as assist other patrol officers, detectives, SWAT and outside agencies.  The canine teams are utilized for a variety of details including, locating wanted felons, locating missing persons, locating narcotics and locating evidence to name a few.  Most of our canines were brought to the United States from the Czech Republic or Holland.

The initial cost for most of our canines is about $10,000 dollars.  The selected Deputies attend an extensive training course which lasts six weeks with additional in service training.  Once the canine team is proficient in patrol work, they are crossed trained to locate narcotics.                 

Although the initial cost to put a canine team on the street is expensive, the canines help us do our job safer and faster, thus saving time and money.  Each canine team can save the department hundreds if not thousands of man-hours each year, thus saving money.   It is not uncommon for our canines to freely and willingly go into areas officers are not able to get to, for example an overhead attic or underground crawl space.  We rely on the canines to use their special abilities to help us locate suspects, evidence, narcotics and missing people.

As an Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Canine Handler, it is expected that the canine teams train daily.  This is one of the most demanding assignments within the agency and only a few Deputies are selected to be a handler.  All of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office handlers share a strong bond within the unit and with their canine partners.  Every handler takes their canine home with them where the canine is treated as part of the family.  There are not many careers where one can take a family member to work with them everyday, but as a canine handler, that is the reward.

As a former Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Canine Handler and the former Sergeant of the Canine Unit, I would like to thank you on behalf of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Canine Association for taking the time to visit our website.

Sergeant Gerald Verbeck
K9 Aldo

   CONTACT US 1-925-463-3760