K-9 Search and Rescue

The Cape May County Sheriff's Office K-9 unit is responsible for providing the service of search and rescue, and apprehension of missing or wanted persons. The K-9 unit operates on a 24 hour basis to assist local, State and Federal police agencies with tracking, narcotics detection, arson investigation as well as explosives detection. This unit has proved to be a valuable asset to local agencies within the county because of rapid response time and availability on last minute notice.

The K-9 Unit was established in 1985 when newly elected Sheriff Jim Plousis saw the need for a K-9 Unit to assist Law Enforcement agencies with locating lost and wanted persons. This unit currently consists of four officers/handlers and ten dogs. German Shepherds for law enforcement related activities and bloodhounds for lost or missing persons searches and woodland criminal pursuits.

Since the K-9 unit was established, it has conducted over seven hundred searches for narcotics, over three hundred arson investigations, searched for one hundred and fourteen missing persons and has responded to over two hundred calls for explosive device detection. They have also seized over one hundred thousand dollars in drug money and another one hundred thousand in confiscated narcotics. Project Lifesaver has become part of the K-9 unit as well.

This unit also offers training for K-9 officers from Sheriff's Office Agencies and other Police Agencies within New Jersey which is conducted at the Cape May County Sheriff's Office K-9 Training facility, located at the Crest Haven Complex.

Officers within the K-9 Unit also participate with demonstrations at local schools, Dare Programs, 4-H fairs and other civil activities.

The K-9 Unit of the Cape May County, New Jersey Sheriff’s Office exists for the following purposes:

To have well trained dogs and handlers available to assist other Law Enforcement agencies, Departments, organizations and citizens of the County of Cape May, New Jersey.

To educate the general public and other law enforcement agencies, organizations, in the many and varied usages and capabilities of the dogs in this unit, including but not limited to:

Lost Person Search
Woodland Criminal Pursuit
Tracking
Trailing
Evidence Recovery
Accelerant Detection

Explosive Detection
Narcotics Detection
Patrol Dogs
To offer leadership and training expertise in search and rescue operations and criminal pursuit incidents
Cooperation in the Project Lifesaver program .

To contact the K-9 Unit call (609) 465-1306 or Email cmck9@cmcsheriff.net Fax: (609)-465-3129