The Bloomfield Township Police Department's Canine Unit is the longest standing unit in Oakland County. Formed in the mid-1960s when Bloomfield Township was more rural than suburban, the Unit reached its heyday in the 70's. At the time, Bloomfield Township Police Department boasted a premier K-9 Unit comprised of seven dog-handlers and seven dogs, which responded to police dog service requests from all over the County and throughout Metro Detroit. Over the course of the years, the Unit was down-sized when other police departments, recognizing the value of a well-trained police dog, established their own units.
Officers Carlson and Box, with their K-9 partners Vince and Havoc, respectively, are the Police Department’s own K-9 unit. As a team they search buildings, track suspects, and respond to narcotics calls. Havoc is trained as an “explosive detection dog” and Vince is trained as a "narcotics detection dog". Officers Carlson and Box, along with their dogs, are available for demonstrations for special events, Brownie, Cub Scout, Girl Scout or Boy Scout activities. To arrange for a K-9 demonstration, telephone the Police Administration at 248-433-7750.
To learn more about how dogs are trained for work in law enforcement, visit the National Police Working Dog Association website.
