CUSTOMS AGENTS INSPECT U.S. CANINES

The chief of customs for China brought an entourage of customs
directors to Roanoke to see how United States police officers train
their dogs.

Chinese customs agents who visited Roanoke on Tuesday as part of a
nationwide tour were interested in the Mill Mountain Star and some
downtown architecture, but they were most impressed with the talents
of Southwest Virginia's police dogs.

Xiaow Li, the chief of customs for the People's Republic of China,
brought an entourage of customs directors to Roanoke to see how United
States police officers train their dogs. He said many dogs are used
for airport security in China.

"He wants to see how United States police departments train dogs
because he uses dogs in the airports," said Li's interpreter, Yunyi
Xu.

About 25 visitors, mostly men, are touring America to observe
security. They flew into Los Angeles about a month ago and have been
in the District of Columbia for a few days, Xu said.

Roanoke police canine Officer John Hoover, a master trainer who is
well-known among canine training circles across Virginia and beyond,
was contacted by the Chinese consulate in Los Angeles in October.
Hoover agreed to host the group and give them a demonstration of the
dogs' talents, so they traveled to Roanoke from Washington, D.C., on
Monday evening.

On Tuesday morning, they toured the Roanoke Police Department on
Campbell Avenue and received gift bags filled with police patches,
T-shirts and mugs, said Roanoke police spokeswoman Shelly Alley.

Capt. William Althoff, who conducted the tour, said the group was
impressed with the new locker rooms in the police department and were
surprised to learn that officers had paid for their own fitness
equipment in the gym.

Two Pittsylvania County Sheriff's deputies and a Montgomery County
Sheriff's deputy then joined Roanoke Police canine units at a training
center on Bennington Street in Southeast Roanoke to give the customs
officials a demonstration of their dogs' training.

Li and his group watched dogs sniff out marijuana behind a wooden
wall, scratching and barking when they found the drugs. They watched
Montgomery County Sheriff's Deputy Travis Harvey demonstrate obedience
with his dog, a giant schnauzer named Axar. Roanoke police Officer
R.D. Cox and Boca, a Belgian Malinois, found detonation cord inside a
duffel bag.

When Coal, a black Labrador and Roanoke police dog, found some drugs
in a book bag on the first sniff, the visitors exclaimed, "Ahhhh!" and
clapped.

Roanoke police Officer Josh Carter then donned a thick suit and played
a criminal with a fake gun. Harvey and Axar, Cox and Boca and Hoover
and Axl took turns taking Carter down as the onlookers watched.

"He [Li] has a great impression of how the dogs smell drugs and
explosives and how they catch bad guys," Xu said.

Li said the American dog training methods were similar to those in
China, but there are three large facilities in his country that train
hundreds of dogs per year. He said Chinese police forces use dogs in
their work, but he was primarily interested in their use for customs.

When the demonstration was over, the customs officials took pictures
with the officers and their dogs, then gave gifts of appreciation to
Hoover for all the officers who participated.

Hoover said he had hosted dog handlers from Ireland and the Soviet
Union before, but never so many at one time. He said everyone he's met
used the same basic method for training dogs, but none had the weapon
problem that America has.

"Everybody I talk to from overseas finds it astonishing that everyone
here has a weapon," he said.

After lunch at a local Chinese restaurant Tuesday afternoon, the group
planned to travel to Richmond to visit the Virginia State Police
headquarters there. A trip to New York will round out their visit in
this country.

Xu said Roanoke made a good impression.

"They said it is a nice city," he said.