The Person County Sheriff’s Office currently has three canine units. All canine deputies and handlers have attended training programs meeting the North Carolina Canine Certification criteria. The objective of the Sheriff’s Office Canine Unit is to provide an additional specialized unit to increase the effectiveness in the detection and prevention of crime, as well as the apprehension of criminals. The greatest value of the canine team lies in the ability of each dog’s keen sense of sight, smell and hearing, which aid in the search of drugs, persons and buildings. The canine’s mission is to locate missing and wanted persons and also assists in detecting and tracking narcotics during the execution of search warrants, school searches, and vehicle stops.