Police K-9 teams are trained to perform a variety of duties. All Chambersburg Police Service Dogs have been trained to locate the presence of illegal drugs using their superior sense of smell. They have all been cross-trained to perform patrol duties as well. They include building searches, area searches, tracking, article searches and protection.
All our previous K9 teams were trained by A.W. “Bill” Castle III and his staff at Castle K-9 Inc., located in Mechanicsburg, PA. Castle is a Master Trainer with the North American Police Work Dog Association (NAPWDA) and the Pennsylvania Police Work Dog Association.
All teams certify annually through NAPWDA in the categories of Police Utility and Narcotics Detection. The unit maintains training on a monthly basis with NAPWDA Master Trainers, employed by Castle K-9, Inc.
The Chambersburg P.D. K9 Unit has also been called to assist neighboring police departments, the Franklin County Prison, the Pennsylvania State Police and other state and federal agencies. Since its inception in 1995 Chambersburg Police K9 teams have been instrumental in many investigations, drug seizures and arrests in our community. Additionally, the K9 teams have conducted numerous speeches and demonstrations for area schools, businesses and organizations.