K-9 Unit

The K-9 Unit is an Integrated HRP/RCMP Unit providing service to areas currently policed by Halifax Regional Police and the RCMP Halifax Detachment. 

Our Teams

Dogs and Handlers

Officers wishing to join the HRP K-9 unit must apply and compete to be a dog handler.  Requirements include three years of service, a fitness test, K-9 specific shooting test, suitability screening and an interview.

The fitness test includes a timed four-mile run, K-9 PARE (Physical Abilities Requirement Evaluation), and a medical exam.  The PARE and shooting test are modified to attempt to better represent the extreme conditions the teams will work in.

The dogs in the unit are all German Shepherds and are tested to ensure they are suitable for police work.  Dogs must pass a medical examination including hip x-rays and behavioural tests.

Working Profiles

The dogs in the K-9 Unit are an invaluable time saving tool in searching for people and evidence.  They also provide another line of defence when it comes to officer safety.

We have four teams certified in Tracking, Article Searching, Building Searching, Apprehension as well as Narcotic Detection. In addition, we have one team also certified in Explosive Ordinance Detection.

• Tracking - tracking lost persons or suspects from a crime scene

• Article Searching - searching for articles discarded during or after a crime, including firearms, ammunition or any item with human scent

• Building Searches - searching for suspects who are hiding in a building

• Apprehension - apprehending fleeing criminals on command

• Narcotic Detection - assisting uniformed and undercover officers during searches for various illegal narcotics

• Explosive Ordinance Detection - assisting uniformed and undercover officers during searches for explosives