DRUG-SNIFFING DOG IS A GREAT DEAL FOR VILLAGE TAXPAYERS

You have to hand a lot of credit to Officer Steve Hart and the
Pinckney Police Department.

They've found a way to put a new drug-sniffing police dog on the job
in their community at a time when the money for such things just isn't
there.

Police dogs are a great asset. Certainly, southern Livingston County
has a drug problem, just like everywhere else in modern society.

A dog is an excellent way to sniff out those drugs, and perhaps more
importantly, to find missing people.

Pinckney's new dog, Kizer, is trained to detect marijuana, cocaine,
crack cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine. Kizer's training also
covers patrol, obedience, tracking, trailing, area search, article
search, building search, handler protection and suspect
apprehension.

But it typically costs $10,000 to find a good dog and get it trained
to be part of a "K-9 unit."

Hart has been working hard to reduce that cost. He managed to get the
dog from a kennel in Metamora at no cost. Then he worked it out to get
the dog training from a retired Michigan State Police sergeant.

Beyond that, Hart continues to work with and house Kizer, so in the
end, the cost to the township and its taxpayers is quite minimal.

According to Police Chief Denis Aseltine, the only cost to the
township will be an annual insurance rider of less than $300.

Hart explains that he is a dog lover. "People have hobbies of hunting
or fishing or building cars or whatever. Mine's dogs," he said.

He has had up to five dogs at a time. Now he has only Kizer and a
second dog, Jager, a German shepherd who does search-and-rescue work
for the nonprofit Michigan Search Dog Association.

That's quite a hobby that Hart has there. He certainly has found ways
to put his leisure time to good use. It is rare when pastimes are that
productive.

It even more rare that a sideline produces such an asset for the
community.

Kizer becomes Livingston County's fourth police dog, taking up the job
along with one that works in the Fowlerville Community Schools, one at
the Michigan State Police post in Brighton and one at the Livingston
County Sheriff's Department.

To provide that fourth police dog at a time when budgets are tight,
when money is unlikely to be found for new programs anywhere among
government services, should earn Hart and the Pinckney Police
Department a big round of applause.

We're glad to see that Kizer has joined the force, and we wish him -
and his handler - well.