
The K9 unit was established at the inception of the City of West Sacramento in 1987. Over the years the total number of K9 teams range from one to three at any given time. Currently the police department has two K9 teams and a K9 Sergeant.
The primary function of the Canine Unit is to reduce the opportunity for injury or death to officers engaged in the normal or dangerous scope of their duties. The Canine Unit operates as a specialized team; responsible for providing effective canine service whenever necessary.
A Canine Team is dispatched to calls involving suspects wanted for serious crimes or that are likely to be armed with deadly weapons. In those cases, canines used to apprehend a suspect is certainly preferable to the use of deadly force in taking a person into custody.