3 answers
TyAnne
Student
Perry, UT
2
Questions
Asked
393 views
What City in the United States of America is the best to be a K-9 unit officer?
I am a sophomore in high school, and I am deciding what career pathway I want to pursue. Being in the K-9 unit is something I am interested in and I want to know where the best place to be in that unit would be. #K-9unit #policeofficer
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3 answers
Nick McGregor
Law Enforcement
35
Answers
Denton, Texas
Updated
Nick’s Answer
Hello TyAnne,
Unfortunately, the “best” agency to work as a Canine Handler is determined by you. It depends on what purpose your dog serves, and what environment you seek to work in. For example, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) primarily has explosive detection dogs. Whereas, Border Patrol will handle Narcotics purpose animals. Or, Bureau of Prisons trains dogs to track people.
Find what purpose you wish to pursue, then narrow your agency search. Traditional Law Enforcement animals are often dual- purpose, some which do Bite work and Narcotics, some which perform Tracking and Narcotics work.
And, don’t forget, military resources get used in many ways. They are called upon by local and federal resources regularly.
Research what environment you want to work in
Research what purpose you wish to handle a canine for
Find agencies that fit those previous descriptions
Unfortunately, the “best” agency to work as a Canine Handler is determined by you. It depends on what purpose your dog serves, and what environment you seek to work in. For example, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) primarily has explosive detection dogs. Whereas, Border Patrol will handle Narcotics purpose animals. Or, Bureau of Prisons trains dogs to track people.
Find what purpose you wish to pursue, then narrow your agency search. Traditional Law Enforcement animals are often dual- purpose, some which do Bite work and Narcotics, some which perform Tracking and Narcotics work.
And, don’t forget, military resources get used in many ways. They are called upon by local and federal resources regularly.
Nick recommends the following next steps:
Abigail Yeager
Admissions Consultant
2
Answers
Toledo, Ohio
Updated
Abigail’s Answer
A lot of states in the US are do not hire police officers or take on new police academy trainees continuously. You would have to find a state that would accept you into their police academy when you are ready to enter the workforce. From their, you can find which states of cities specifically have vacancies in their K-8 Unit.
Gloria Ortiz
Instructional Designer
838
Answers
Irving, Texas
Updated
Gloria’s Answer
Hi TyAnne,
I am not sure how to answer specifically with my own opionion, since I am not in Law Enforcement at all. I would offer that this is a difficult question to answer for anyone but you. Why? I do not know your definition of "best". I would challenge you to think about what you mean by best. Is it awards, is it arrests, is it well-respected by other organizations? Once you have a sense of what best means to you, you should be able to do some research online or even by talking with a local K-9 unit. I would say that they probably have a sense of what "good" or "great" means in the field.
I would also ask you to consider what you consider best in work environments. I imagine that no matter how good a job is, you need to care about the environment where you work. I am a person who likes to live in large, urban areas for big companies. Do I work for a company who is best in my chosen field? From my perspective, no. But the job is with a good company with a culture that meets my personal values while also being very competitive in the field that I work in. And I live in my preferred urban environment for a large company. It may not be the best on some lists, but it is the best place for me.
Gloria
I am not sure how to answer specifically with my own opionion, since I am not in Law Enforcement at all. I would offer that this is a difficult question to answer for anyone but you. Why? I do not know your definition of "best". I would challenge you to think about what you mean by best. Is it awards, is it arrests, is it well-respected by other organizations? Once you have a sense of what best means to you, you should be able to do some research online or even by talking with a local K-9 unit. I would say that they probably have a sense of what "good" or "great" means in the field.
I would also ask you to consider what you consider best in work environments. I imagine that no matter how good a job is, you need to care about the environment where you work. I am a person who likes to live in large, urban areas for big companies. Do I work for a company who is best in my chosen field? From my perspective, no. But the job is with a good company with a culture that meets my personal values while also being very competitive in the field that I work in. And I live in my preferred urban environment for a large company. It may not be the best on some lists, but it is the best place for me.
Gloria