ROOKIE COP HAS A NOSE FOR CRIME

KALAMA -- The police department has high hopes that its newest
officer will take a bite out of this small town's oversized drug problem.

'Bati," a 65-pound German shepherd nearly two years old, is Kalama's
first drug-sniffing canine, though he still needs to complete 80
hours of training and pass a state certification exam before going on the job.

"When we're doing patrols, we should have more than enough work" for
Bati, said Police Sgt. Steve Parker.

Parker notes that Interstate 5 provides a direct route for dealers to
markets all across the Western U.S., so Kalama has an established
population of illegal drug users and dealers despite its small size.

Kalama police requested a small dog because they "can be able to fit
in smaller places," especially under and inside cars, Parker said On
an average traffic stop, Parker said, Bati can be used to circle a
suspect's car and help an officer determine whether to seek a search warrant.

Bati won't be used as a tracking dog to search for missing people or
fleeing criminals.

An anonymous donor contributed $5,000 to buy and train Bati, who was
born in The Netherlands.

Though he's been in Kalama for about a week, Bati has already been
introduced to many Kalama residents.

On a recent search exercise in front of the Kalama Police Department,
Parker said employees of neighboring businesses came out to watch the
dog sniff cars in front of the police station. Bati's nose for
marijuana is 100 times more keen than humans', Parker said.

Everyone seems happy to meet the agency's newest member, Parker said,
though it's important for the public to remember Bati is a working
dog, not an ordinary pet.

As Bati's handler, Parker is responsible for Bati's care, and the dog
sleeps in an area at Parker's home fenced off from other dogs. If
they were to mingle, Parker worries Bati could get injured if the
other dogs attempt to establish who's in charge.

"He's curious about the other dogs," he said. "The other dogs don't
really associate with him."

Hall said the department and Parker are still learning Bati's
idiosyncrasies, and the dog is still establishing a bond with Parker.
Eventually, Kalama Police Chief Bruce Hall said, Bati will help
neighboring police agencies on drug busts and become a fixture in Kalama.

"Our job is to be very community oriented with the dog," Hall said.

Breakout

Lewis County Sheriff's Office also has a new K-9 unit.

Leko, a 21 month-old German shepherd, began work Dec. 17 after 10
weeks of training with his handler, Deputy Gabe Frase, a six-year
veteran of the sheriff's office.

Leko was purchased in September with funds raised by Centralia
Rotary, according to a Lewis County Sheriff's press release.

Deputy Frase and Leko then spent the ten weeks training in Pierce
County (Tacoma) and then passed an accreditation test conducted by
the Washington State Police Canine Association.

"Leko has a great personality and displayed excellent traits during
his initial training with deputy Frase," Sheriff Steve Mansfield said
in a press release. "I am most certain a lot of thugs out there will
be both surprised and disappointed that we have the K-9 team back in
our community."