A day in the life of a Broward K-9 officer

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – It’s a known fact that K-9s at the Broward Sheriff’s Office play a wide-ranging and vital role in supporting law enforcement operations and protecting residents across Broward County. From tracking dangerous suspects and locating narcotics to helping find the most vulnerable missing people, BSO’s K-9s comprise a highly visible, highly trained, and highly successful asset for the agency.

However, the K-9 Unit is not a one-size-fits-all unit. That’s why the Broward Sheriff’s Office has released their guide to everything you need to know about these brave canines.

There are actually different types of K-9s trained to carry out specific functions across several divisions and departments at BSO. For instance, there are Patrol K-9s that help capture fleeing suspects, bloodhounds that help locate missing persons, and K-9s that are trained to sniff out bombs.

There are even specially trained K-9s that work on explosive ordinance detection teams at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

Each of these specialized K-9s and their deputy handlers work in BSO’s Special Patrol Division, which is part of the Department of Preparedness and Response.

In BSO’s Strategic Investigations Division (SID), within the Department of Professional Standards and Investigations, narcotics detection K-9s help uncover illegal drugs in a variety of locations.

Overall, there are dozens of dogs that work for the Broward Sheriff’s Office. Each of the animals and their deputy handlers undergo extensive training before they are certified, and continue to undergo rigorous training on a regular basis in order to accomplish their particular objective and to maintain the highest level of efficiency in their unique skill set.

To learn more about the Patrol K-9s, Bomb Detection K-9s, Narcotics Detection K-9s, TSA K-9s, and Bloodhounds at the Broward Sheriff’s Office, click here.