The Saint Paul Police Canine (K-9) Unit is the second oldest police canine organization in the United States. We operate with approximately fifteen Officer/Canine teams and provide 24/7 coverage. The mission of the Canine (K-9) Unit is to support the patrol districts with all patrol functions. In addition to basic patrol dog responsibilities, our canines specialize in: criminal suspect searches/apprehensions, evidence searches, explosive detection, narcotic detection, open area searches, site security and tracking. The Saint Paul Police Department also deploys single purpose canines solely trained for narcotic and explosive detection.
Public education is also an important element of the Canine (K-9) Unit. Officers conduct public demonstrations for neighborhood, civic, and community organizations on a regular basis. The Canine (K-9) Unit does several demonstrations throughout the Minnesota State Fair, depending on staffing and call volume.
The Canine (K-9) Unit is partially supported by the non-profit Saint Paul Police K-9 Foundation, since all canines must currently be purchased. Donated dogs are no longer accepted.
Saint Paul Police canine officers have received over three hundred awards for national, regional, local or departmental recognition of quality police work. Contact Commander Amanda Heu for more information: 651-266-5592 or Amanda.Heu@stpaul.gov.
