Bomb-Sniffing Dogs Part Of Stepped Up Security At Oracle Arena In Oakland
OAKLAND (KCBS) – The Golden State Warriors are stepping up security efforts at Oracle Arena, starting with Thursday night's game against the Houston Rockets.
Bomb-sniffing dogs will be patrolling the grounds for the rest of the season. The four K-9 units from the Alameda County Sheriff's Office will be sniffing around and outside the arena for the Warriors remaining home games.
"If there is a suspicious package that's found, we can handle it right then and there without disrupting any of the patrons, the venue or the event that is going on," said Alameda County Sheriff's Office spokesman J.D. Nelson. "We think that's a win-win situation for everyone."
Nelson said the K-9 teams were used at some Warriors games last year, and the dogs also have experience in helping to secure Oakland Raiders games at the Coliseum.
Rich Faaborg is part of one of the K-9 units, and said the dogs are specially trained for this work.
"I can't go too much into it. But he can do amazing things, really can do amazing things," said Faaborg.
The Warriors said this is not in response to any specific threat; the NBA has requested that all of its teams take similar security precautions for the rest of this season.