K-9 HELPS HUB VILLAGE IN FIGHT AGAINST DRUGS

Raven: Fort Yukon's Newest Police Recruit Flushes Out Illegal Substances.

Fort Yukon was never the drug-smuggling capital of Alaska, but anyone
thinking about flying marijuana, cocaine or other controlled substances
into the village of 600 would be advised to think again -- and beware the
Raven.

Raven, the newest member of the Fort Yukon Police Department, is a 1-
year-old drug-sniffing black Labrador retriever.

She is already having the desired effect, said Police Chief Reginald
Fleming. In her first month on the job, Raven has flushed out two people
carrying pot on incoming flights. Charges have been forwarded to the
district attorney in Fairbanks, he said.

"Until (local residents) saw the dog really make an authentic hit" or
locate hidden drugs, Fleming said, "people didn't trust it. But that first
hit, that's when you started seeing people take extra precautions."

City Council member Debbie McCarty, who is also a health aide in the
village clinic, said she has long wanted the community to take a more
aggressive stand on drug traffic.

"I see what happens here when people come in with drug problems, what
happens as a result of drugs," McCarty said, including injuries stemming
from accidents and assaults.

Mayor Vickie Thomas agreed on the need, despite Fort Yukon's size. "There
is a lot of drug and alcohol trafficking in the small villages."

Communities in the northeastern Interior, such as Venetie and Arctic
Village, use Fort Yukon as a hub city, she said. Pinching off the flow of
drugs into Fort Yukon will ripple through the region, she said.

Fleming, who has been on the job for just over a year, located a black Lab
pup that had undergone obedience training. The village then sent her
through drug training at Fort Wainwright, which has a K-9 unit and
trainers. A drug-sniffing dog has a working life of three to five years, he
said.

So far, Raven and her handler have acted on tips from village residents
that travelers are bringing drugs into town, Fleming said. "Hopefully we'll
keep getting those tips," he said.

But dogs like Raven can also give an officer probable cause to investigate
travelers who don't want their bags searched, he said.

"If they say no (to a search), you're out of luck. But a dog can pick up
the smell and alert you. Then you have probable cause. You can tell the
person you're going to seize their bag and get a search warrant."

Raven works by sniffing for a number of drugs, Fleming said. It's obvious
when she makes a hit.

"She looks up at us, then looks down at whatever she hit on. She'll stop
what she's doing and just sit down. It's like she's telling you, 'Hey,
right here.' "

Fleming is talking to the airlines that fly into Fort Yukon a dozen times a
day to gain their support for drug checks. "If they suspect something, they
can call us up and we go out and check on it," he said.

Alcohol is still probably the biggest drug issue in Fort Yukon, said Capt.
Allen Storey, head of the Alaska State Troopers drug enforcement unit. But
marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine and other illegal substances are a
headache in almost every Bush village.

"Some communities seem to have ongoing problems year after year. Others
have peaks and valleys or seasonal use based on fishing or people returning
for summer. It varies from community to community," he said.

Fort Yukon doesn't stand out as having a particularly bad problem. But it's
rare to see a small village taking such a strong stand as Fort Yukon has
with Raven, Storey added.

"It's a positive sign that they're interested in doing those things and
trying to make their community safe."