K-9 training unit may move to Goshen

Orange County is likely moving its K-9 training unit from the property of the Orange County airport in Montgomery to the sheriff’s headquarters in Goshen, the Chronicle has learned.

K-9 Unit Supervisor First Sergeant Jeremy Yeela told The Chronicle that the current building the county uses is in disrepair and ill-equipped to handle the growing demand. “The floors are shoddy, we’ve outgrown it exponentially,” he said.

Almost every unit in the county that has dogs has used the county K-9 unit, he said, and they currently have two full-time trainers working with dogs. That’s over 25 police departments that utilize their services, all free of charge for the police units.

The design of the new building has yet to be established, but the county has allotted $250,000 for the architecture and engineering phase of the project, Yela said.

The K-9 unit move has been approved by the Legislature subcommittee but still awaits a vote by the general legislature.

Yela not only oversees the unit, but handles a dog himself. His K-9 partner goes by the name of Yoda.

The Sheriff’s office has nine K-9 teams ranging from arson detection, narcotics to explosives. They train every agency other than the state police. They do trainings for clients as far away as Vermont. They have clients from Rockland, Ulster, Putnam and Westchester counties. All training is free, based on the philosophy of mutual aid – that in a time of need the county can count of those agencies to come to their back.

There are two training sessions – criminal apprehension and detection and the total training is six months, which is longer than the police academy.

The unit trains both dogs but their human handlers, seeing about 20 dog/handler duos per year. The unit has been in place since 1981 and recently deployed a narcotics detector dog with a female handler in the county jail.

“I have seen first-hand the great work our K-9 Units provide for our community. Whether they help find a missing child or sweep a school or public building to make sure it’s safe, the work they do is a critical part of public safety,” Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus said. “This new facility will be used to train our teams as well as those of municipal agencies to continue to provide and enhance this important safety component.”

“Our K-9 Unit is an invaluable asset to law enforcement and the community,” Sheriff Paul Arteta said. “These dedicated teams exemplify skill, discipline and unwavering commitment, whether they’re tracking missing persons, detecting narcotics or ensuring public safety. The bond between our deputies and their K-9 partners is built on trust and relentless training and their impact is felt every day.”