Independence Oaks will be the site of a new canine training facility for the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.
The new facility for training in-service dogs was dedicated the morning of June 7 as K-9 deputies performed a K-9 unit skills demonstration including bomb and explosive detection, narcotics tracking and obedience.
‘We’ve got one of the biggest canine units in the state and this allows us to have a facility in Oakland County that lets us train in a close proximity,? said Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard.
According to a press release from Bouchard’s office, the Oakland County Parks and Rec. Commission designated the 2.4 acre parcel at Independence Oaks County Park near Clarkston. The fenced site includes parking. The Parks Commission will maintain the grounds in and around the facility.
‘We’ve had a long-standing relationship with the parks. We patrol all their parks as we have a contract to keep them safe so their customers have a safe and fun environment. We reach out to each other when we can,? said Bouchard.
Dan Stencil, the Executive Officer of the Oakland County Parks and Rec Commission, echoed Bouchard’s comments pointing to the long-term relationship between the two entities as the source of the agreement.
‘This establishment of the new facility is in a non-public area and deputies will have 24/7 access to training facilities,? said Stencil. ‘It’s a good collaboration of services.?
The OCSO Canine Unit consists of 14 dogs, two trained for bomb detection and 11 trained in tracking, property recovery, handler protection and narcotic detection, with the latest addition coming in arson investigation.
Undersheriff Mike McCabe explained that dogs just starting the K-9 unit program will continue to receive their initiation to the program through the existing channels set up through Oakland Police Academy and will come to the site at Independence Oaks for further training once they are already with the Canine Unit.
Those K-9 handlers assigned to Brandon, Commerce, Independence, Orion and Springfield townships will train at the new site, as well as, the City of Rochester Hills and some departments outside of the OCSO.
These departments include Bloomfield Township, Madison Heights, Southfield and Sterling Heights.