LAW ENFORCEMENT BARK EQUALS BITE

MOREHEAD CITY - The illegal drugs of choice these days are as small as a
single pill or a sliver of crack cocaine, and the potential hiding places
are many.

In their efforts to uncover these hidden drugs, a growing number of
Carteret County law enforcement agencies are turning to an asset with a
nose for what's there.

Two Belgian Malinois will soon become the Carteret County Sheriff
Department's first K-9 unit, and the Beaufort Police Department is in the
process, too, of securing a grant for the purchase and training of a dog.

Sheriff's Department Chief Detective Frank Galizia said the department
plans to use its dogs, which are currently undergoing six weeks of
training, for drug enforcement efforts.

"In a world where we are looking for crack cocaine and given how small that
is, these dogs will be very helpful," Galizia said.

In searches of homes and vehicles, he said, the dogs can quickly make a
"hit," signaling a specific area where they believe drugs are located. It
can take officers much longer to do the same. In some cases, Galizia said,
drugs could go undetected.

"(Having the dogs) will cut back on time and increase effectiveness," he said.

Galizia doesn't doubt the dogs will be an asset to the department, he's
already seen Hosko and Kazan at work.

Kazan, a 5-year-old Belgian Malinois, joined the Atlantic Beach Police
Department in May 2001. And Hosko, a 3-year-old German shepherd, has been a
member of the Morehead City Police Department for two years.

While Kazan is a full-service police dog with training in narcotics and
evidence search, apprehension, tracking and officer protection, he has been
used primarily for searching for illegal drugs. And he showed his ability
to do just that right away, said his handler, Sgt. Brian Prior.

On their first day back after graduating from training, Kazan hit on
cocaine tucked inside a tissue box. Two weeks later in a home search, he
uncovered four stashes of marijuana.

Maybe other officers would have found the contraband. Then again, they may
not have, said Prior. That's why Kazan is there to help.

"There's no guarantee an officer is going to overlook something, but you
never know," he said.

The nose knows

Morehead City Officer Trent Johnson is certain Hosko has found what he has
missed. At one traffic stop, Johnson could smell marijuana on a driver but
couldn't find where it was hidden.

The stash was there, along with a loaded gun, tucked inside the bottom of
the driver's seat. It wasn't visible to the officer, and only a small flap
in the seat lining indicated it could be there. But Hosko didn't need to
see it to find it.

"He could smell it, but I couldn't see it," Johnson said.

At one home search, a discarded KFC box still covered in barbecue sauce
could have been just trash.

For Hosko it was a major drug bust as he uncovered $5,000 worth of crack
cocaine inside.

On a dark and rainy night, when a suspect tossed away evidence as officers
apprehended him, it was Hosko who tracked down two small rocks of crack
cocaine in an open field.

Few misses

Johnson said there are few times when Hosko isn't right if he indicates he
has found something. In fact, the hardest part of becoming his handler was
putting the dog's instincts over his own.

"The hardest thing for me was trusting him when I'd think something was
there and he didn't indicate that there was," he said.

Johnson quickly learned Hosko is usually right, and over the past two
years, he has seen his canine partner's training benefit the department in
ways that go beyond drug enforcement.

Johnson said Hosko's tracking skills have also been used. After the armed
robbery of a local cab driver, Hosko tracked the suspect from the scene
directly to his apartment.

While there have been definite law enforcement benefits, Johnson likes the
times when he is able to take Hosko out into the community for school
visits and demonstrations for the public.

Hosko always leaves a good impression, particularly with area youth who
send cards and notes about wanting to be a police officer with a police dog
of their own.

"It's good to see the kids smile when they see the dog and are able to pet
him. That can outweigh the drug enforcement effort," Johnson said.

Grant money sought

Beaufort Police Chief Steve Lewis is anxious to add a dog to the department
for all the benefits a canine unit can bring.

Beaufort is seeking $10,000 in federal grant money through the N.C.
Governor's Crime Commission to purchase and train a dog and outfit a canine
unit.

The town has approved a $1,000 match and there has been preliminary
approval of the application, but the town is now waiting for a final OK.

If that comes by the start of the federal fiscal year on Oct. 1, a dog
could be at work in Beaufort by November, Lewis said.

While police dogs haven't always been a resource that small departments
could afford, grant funding is a significant help to police agencies like
Beaufort.

Kazan and Hosko have often been used to assist other agencies in the area.
With at least two more dogs on the way, Prior said there will still be
plenty of work for all of them.

"The more that are out there, the better," he said.

Prior said that with more canine units, there will also be more
opportunities for the handlers and the police dogs in the area to train
together.