Warren County in conjunction with the Warren County Police Chiefs Association will be locating and constructing a K-9 training area at the County’s Public Safety building in Franklin Township.

The Board of County Commissioners approved an agreement with the chiefs’ organization at the regular meeting of August 14, 2024.

Local police K-9 units within Warren County and participating agencies will be responsible for all materials and costs to construct, operate and maintain the training site.

“Creating a dedicated space for K-9 training reflects our county’s commitment to enhancing public safety and supporting the vital work of our local police departments,” said Commissioner Director James R. Kern III, who is liaison for Public Safety. “My thanks to our county administrator, Department of Public Safety and the Warren County Police Chiefs Association for their efforts on this agreement,” Kern added.

“I would like to thank the County Commissioners and Washington Township Committee for their support with this project,” said Washington Township Police Chief Christopher M. Jones, who is vice president of the Warren County Police Chiefs Association. “I believe this is an exciting opportunity to have the K-9 training center available at a location that offers variable training areas and is centrally located for all Warren County Police K-9s,” he added. Jones said there are still some logistics to work through, “but we will have the training center operable in the near future.”

Currently, four police departments in Warren County have K-9 units. The NJ Attorney General sets guidelines that require ongoing training, and dogs and handlers must be recertified two to four times a year, depending on what the dog is trained to do.

Jones said having a training site at the Public Safety Department, where the Warren County Fire Academy is located, offers multiple areas for different training scenarios.