The Cecil County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit plays a vital role in assisting in law enforcement operations.  Four new canines were acquired in 2023 to replace 1 canine that retired in 2021 and 3 that retired in the beginning of 2023. All four dogs are trained or are in the process of being trained for tracking, article searches and narcotic detection. Three dogs are also trained or are in the process of being trained in      offender apprehension techniques. The Cecil County Sheriff’s Office K-9 teams performed 137 CDS Scans/Searches that resulted in 953 bags of heroin and $1218 in U.S. currency seized during 2023. 

The police dogs are chosen for their superior ability to detect and locate persons, property, and evidence. They are trained to track and locate persons that have fled on foot from crime scenes. However, the teams are also used for backing up other officers on alarm calls, in building searches, fight calls, locating lost or missing persons, and in conducting security checks of businesses. The Cecil County Sheriff’s Office K-9 teams provided back-up to patrol 843 times and provided 11 building scans during 2023. 

One K-9 team has the potential to save the agency hundreds of work hours per year because of the dog's     superior sense of smell and hearing. These highly trained teams are a valuable resource to the Cecil   County Sheriff’s Office and are often called upon to assist other agencies. The Cecil County K-9 teams assisted other agencies 144 times during 2023. 

The K-9 teams offered 7 demonstrations at numerous community events throughout the year. The demonstrations provided attendees of all ages with insight on how canines are trained and how the K-9 teams provide services to the community.  

For Fiscal Year 2023 K-9 Unit Statistics please view the 2023 Annual Report