SAULT POLICE CANINE UNIT GETS 2 NEW RECRUITS

It's not often that a new recruit at the city police station tries to
snatch the tie from a sergeant's neck and is merely labeled a "free
spirit."

But that's how handler Const. Jason Rains describes Gunner, a black
lab who, along along with Tazer, a sable shepherd, will make up the
city's new canine unit.

Rains and Police Chief Bob Davies showed off the new dogs at a press
conference Thursday.

The pair is taking over from Eagle, the Sault Police Service's first
police dog, who died in August.

Shortly after Eagle's death, Rains started training at OPP facilities
in Orillia, first with Tazer, who will do tracking and apprehension,
and then with Gunner, who is still completing part of his initial
training for sniffing out drugs and guns. Both are male and just under
two years old. They were named before they joined the force.

With two dogs instead of one, police will be able to extend what the
unit can do, Rains said.

Eagle, who did the jobs of both dogs, was an "active indicator" when
it came to sniffing drugs, meaning he would scratch and actively
indicate when he made a find. Gunner will merely sit down when he
finds drugs or guns because he has been trained as a "passive
indicator," Rains said.

That means school searches, which are done on request from principals,
can be extended to students, not just lockers, he said. In the past,
an OPP canine unit was needed to search students and individuals. "The
opportunity came to train Gunner in a passive manner, so we chose to
do that," said Rains.

While Tazer is well disciplined, obedience training wasn't part of the
plan for Gunner, who hardly sat still for a moment during Thursday's
press conference and at one point attempted to make off with Sgt. Jim
Egan's tie.

He's "high maintenance" but he's meant to be, so he'll be better at
sniffing out drugs and guns, said Rains.

"I want him to be jumping up on the tables and going where he needs to
go," he said.

Tazer has been in active service since late December and has already
been involved in a number of arrests. Gunner graduated from the OPP
academy on Feb. 5 and has not yet been involved in any operational
calls.

Though startup costs for Eagle and the canine unit of $17,000 were
covered by the Fraternal Order of Eagles -- hence the name -- Rains
said the budget he submits is now $7,000 a year and is part of the
service's budget.

During Eagle's tenure, which began in 1998, he responded to 1,045
calls, 607 for tracking, and was responsible for 108 arrests. He made
47 narcotics seizures and assisted in 89 other investigations.