United States Police Canine Association Region 15

        Region 15 consists of many police canine teams from all areas of New Jersey as well as Pennsylvania. We are also represented by various Sheriff's Departments as well as Correctional Facilities and State and Federal Agencies.

       Today, Region 15 is the second largest of 26 regions of the USPCA with approximately 200 members.

The General Nature of the Objectives and Purposes of this Association are:

1. To unite in a common cause all law enforcement agencies utilizing the service of the canine as an aid in the prevention and detection of crime.

2. To promote friendship and brotherhood between all those interested in the training and utilization of the canine in police work.

3. To endeavor to establish a minimum working standard, and improve the abilities of the canine in police work, thereby rendering better service to the community.

4. To establish and maintain a legal assistance fund for acts resulting in civil suits from the use of police trained canines.

5. To coordinate the exchange of any advanced techniques of training of the utilization of police dogs.

6. To improve the image of the working police dog to the populace in general through improved public service in the prevention and detection of crime.

7. To aid and assist those law enforcement agencies making application for information concerning the establishment of canine sections within their respective departments. 

        Police K-9 dogs, properly trained and handled, give Law Enforcement officers one of the finest non-lethal aids in the prevention and detection of crime.

A Properly trained Police Dog is taught to do the following:

1.      Search buildings and areas for unauthorized persons.

2.      Track Criminals and search for lost children, etc.

3.      Search for evidence dropped by criminals in flight.

4.      Search for hidden explosives, narcotics, chemicals, and cadaver substance.

5.      Pursue and apprehend, with minimum force, criminals fleeing a serious crime and arrest.

6.      Apprehend on command only and in Protection of the Handler.