Across Missouri—from the Ste. Genevieve County Sheriff’s Office to the St. Francois County Sheriff’s Dept and the Ste. Genevieve City Police—modern law enforcement agencies utilize an industry-standard app called PACKTRACK (TM) to log their canine activities. While agencies use this software to streamline their record-keeping, the highly detailed reports it generates represent a crucial category of discovery that criminal defense attorneys must obtain when defending clients.

PACKTRACK touts itself as:

K9 Records Done Right
PACKTRACK is the top choice for police K9 handlers, trainers and supervisors. If you need full-featured, flexible and secure police dog record management software then look no further. Our K9 software is designed to work the way you do – whether you’re at your desk or in the field.

In fact, when a police dog is used at a scene, PACKTRACK reports provide the Defense with an objective digital footprint of the deployment(s) at issue in a Defendant’s case.

To ensure the safety of all recorded data, PACKTRACK operates on the same secure infrastructure used by the US government and numerous financial institutions. Our unique data management solution continuously backs up all training and tracking logs. It provides convenient access to police dog records through any web browser or the included iPhone and Android mobile apps.

This post provides an Overview of this Series of PACKTRACK posts; others are broken down by K9 use + K9 Training:

NOTE: You must be logged in as a client, public defender, or criminal defense attorney to access posts 2, 3, 4 & 5. Sign up for a free account here.

• Drug Detection: These reports log the exact parameters of a roadside free air sniff or structural sweep, detailing what specific odors the dog is certified to detect, how many times the handler walked the dog around a perimeter, and whether the dog gave a true “sit indication” or merely a subtle change in behavior. Defense attorneys need these logs to audit a dog’s real-world accuracy rate and check for potential false-alert patterns. [click here for PACKTRACK Post 2 of 5-limited access to logged in clients, public defenders, and criminal defense attorneys] –
• “Non-Search” Compliance: In high-risk tactical environments where a K9 is deployed as a psychological deterrent to force an arrestee’s compliance, PACKTRACK logs these as “Non-Search” patrol events. Obtaining these records is vital for defense attorneys evaluating potential excessive force claims, as the software tracks specific liability metrics like verbal canine announcements, total arrests, and whether any physical bites occurred. [click here for PACKTRACK Post 3 of 5 -limited access to logged in clients, public defenders, and criminal defense attorneys]
• Evidence Searches: When an officer claims a K9 located abandoned or hidden evidence, PACKTRACK details the precise search duration, the specific terrain types cleared, and the exact physical manner of the discovery. This allows the defense to review whether the search was conducted lawfully and within a reasonable timeframe. [click here for PACKTRACK Post 4 of 5-limited access to logged in clients, public defenders, and criminal defense attorneys]
• Plus- PACKTRACK K9 Training Records [click here for PACKTRACK Post 5 of 5 – pending/limited access to logged in clients, public defenders, and criminal defense attorneys]

By demanding these granular digital logs during discovery, defense attorneys can look past generic police narratives and examine the raw data behind the deployment, ensuring their client’s constitutional rights were fully protected at the scene.