LPD SETS SIGHTS ON CANINE UNIT

Lamar Police Chief Brian Phillips told The Lamar Ledger Monday he
intends to move forward with plans to add a canine unit to the force
in the near future.

Phillips said his own experience as a canine officer in Florida
during the 1990s has convinced him the dogs are an invaluable tool in
both drug interdiction and search capacities. In a recent press
release Phillips commented that currently, when police suspect the
presence of drugs, the department's ability to search is limited by
the constitutional rights of individuals. On the other hand, if a
drug sniffing dog is present and alerts officers to the presence of
illegal drugs, probable cause for a further search is established.

The new chief said he is familiar with the breeder in Indiana chosen
by the Lamar Police Department. According to Phillips the breeder is
nationally known for excellence in breeding and training dogs for use
in police work.

Phillips said the breed of the new dog will be determined by several
factors including what it will be used for and the preference of the
officer who will be handling the dog, since the dog will reside with
the officer and his family. He explained the dog could be trained and
used strictly for drug sniffing or it could be cross-trained and used
for various types of searches.

The dog could be working in the community within three months of the
time it is selected, he said. Phillips noted that when adequate funds
have been raised, a trip will be made to Indiana to select the dog.
Once selected, the dog and its handler will enter a training program
in Indiana that will take about ten weeks. Following the training
period, the dog is certified by the trainer and will make the trip
with its handler home to Lamar. After Colorado certification the dog
and its handler will go to work together in Lamar.

Phillips said there are a number of ways in which the community can
help out with getting a K-9 unit up and running in Lamar. "I was out
playing with my kids the other day and someone stopped to tell me he
would donate the work to dig the post holes for the kennel at the
handler's home," he said. In addition, he said, items such as
veterinary care, dog food, special equipment that must be installed
in the vehicle used to transport the dog may all be donated, thus
furthering the effort to get a dog here sooner.

The chief said a special remote release will need to be installed
which will allow the handler to release the dog from the vehicle when
necessary, such as if the officer is away from the vehicle or is
assaulted by a suspect, or in cases when a suspect runs away the from
the officer.

"I want this to be a safe community. I live here and so do my kids.
If they can get to be 18 years old and never even see any marijuana,
then I will have done my job," Phillips said.