Canine Unit

The Honolulu Police Department's Canine Unit began as a pilot program in 1957, under Chief Dan Liu. The first Canine Unit consisted of 12 officers. The dogs mainly german shepherds were donated by the residents of Honolulu. The officers constructed their own training facility including an 8-stall kennel using their personal donations of money and labor. The officers also trained during off-duty hours.

By 1961 the canine unit had became a full fledged part of the Honolulu Police Department, when the Metro Squad, the forerunner of today's Specialized Services Division, employed "police dogs" as a part of their patrols of Waikiki.

In 1989, dogs trained in the detection of narcotics were first used by the Narcotics/Vice Division and since that time they have helped police seize millions of dollars in drugs and cash. The Canine Unit's tasks also include explosive detection, tracking, suspect apprehension and the location of articles or evidence at a crime scene.

As times and task requirement changed, the german shepherds were replaced by a more durable breed of dogs, the Dutch shepherd and the Belgium Malinois. There are 3 dogs used by Narcotics/Vice airport division. They are a Golden Retriever, Short Haired Pointer, and a Labrador. Each dog has a badge designation and are considered officers assigned to the Honolulu Police Department's Specialized Services Division.