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Without hesitation, they will enter a darkened building where an armed criminal might be waiting, or they will charge right into a gang of armed miscreants without regard to their own safety, caring only for the well-being of other officers.
And they can literally smell a drug deal going down, even from a distance.
They are Officer Robby, a 2-year-old Belgian Mallinois, and Officer Baco, a 3-year-old German shepherd, and they are the embodiment of a rejuvenated K-9 department at police headquarters.
The department has been without a K-9 unit since 2005, when the sole handler for a dog unit, Sgt. Glenn Vaughn, died.
But their human counterparts couldn't be prouder of newcomers Robby and Baco. "These are two of our finest officers," said Capt. Kevin Sanderson, who helped select the dogs.
They'll be undergoing training with their permanent police partners - Robby with Officer Jason Turner and Baco with Officer Jason Stover. That will include intensive training on sniffing out hidden illicit drugs.
Then, it will be time for them to hit the streets and take a bite out of crime.
Both in wars against foreign enemies and here at home against criminals, trained dogs have saved countless human lives - sometimes at the cost of their own - and they have had a tremendous impact for the good.
We welcome Officers Robby and Baco, and we agree with Capt. Sanderson that a third K-9 unit (which would provide one for every shift) would be a very real asset to the department, and to all of Victoria.
Criminals beware. These two guys are really going to put some teeth into law enforcement in our city.
This editorial reflects the views of the Victoria Advocate's editorial board.