The Essex County Sheriff, Armando Fontoura, today outlined a new concept in law enforcement and public safety with the creation of a shared services K9 task force between Essex County and its municipal police departments.
The target date for the initiative is January 1, 2020, police stated.
Police said that the proposed K-9 task force would operate along the lines of the shared services public safety network already employed by the county with its Bureau of Narcotics, Office of Emergency Management and Office of Homeland Security.
“Our department has previously trained thousands of first responders in emergency management and homeland security response techniques and in the target-hardening of our critical infrastructure,” the sheriff added. “We’ve also trained scores of local police departments in the latest narcotics investigating skills. Turning our attention now to a K-9 task force should be a manageable and successful matter.”
The Essex County Sheriff’s K-9 Unit was established in 1987, according to police.
“With the threats we face today from home and abroad, it is time to bring our municipal police departments up to date and have those departments participate in what can only be viewed as a win-win situation for all,” Sheriff Fontoura concluded.