Tactical teams, such as the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Unit are often confronted with suspects who have hidden or are barricaded.  Those situations are very dangerous for the Deputies involved because the suspect is hidden and can’t immediately be seen.

In those situations a dynamic or sudden and explosive entry is dangerous because it can expose the Deputies to danger. In those situations the use of a properly trained police canine is invaluable.

Humans are only able to search with their eyes. Dogs have an exceptional sense of smell, hearing and also vision that enables them to search and locate suspects in ways humans never could. For example, a canine can be sent down a long hallway and has the ability to smell the door jam and often be able to tell if someone is inside without even having to open the door. This type of alert allows the tactical team to coordinate and plan their response based on the canine’s alert.

A police canine that is assigned to a tactical team will often be sent out in front of the team and utilized as a “Point Man” and will conduct the initial search of the given area. Once the canine has searched that area the canine can be “downed” and the team can safely advance forward and continue the search.

Another advantage to a police canine is their size and physical ability. Often suspect will conceal themselves in attics or crawl spaces that are very confined. These confined spaces are very dangerous for a full size adult to enter and search. Due to the canine’s smaller size and agility, they have the ability to easily enter and search these confined spaces while allowing the team members to remain in a position of safety.

Large areas such as fields and open areas pose a very serious danger to team members because in order to search the field or open area they must expose themselves to danger without any sort of cover or concealment. Police canines can be sent off leash to search the open areas ahead of the team and clear very large areas in a much shorter period of time. Additionally, due to the canine’s superior sense of smell, the canine can direct the team towards a suspect as he picks up the scent.

A police canine that works with any Tactical Team is highly trained. The dog needs to be very driven and have a strong desire to search for people. He also needs to be very social since he will be working in very close proximity to the team members. It is also very important that the team members are comfortable working around the canine.

The primary purpose behind using the police canine is to ensure the safety of everyone involved including the suspects. The use of the canine can help keep a situation from escalating to a more serious and deadly level.

The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office SRU team often uses canines in the course of their deployments. Canines are utilized on perimeter positions to catch a fleeing suspect or on search or arrest teams to search a building or large area. All SRU team members and canine handlers have attended specialized training that teaches everyone how to best use and utilize the canine during SWAT operations.