K-9 COPS

Explosives And Narcotics Dogs Join The Sheriff's Office

The newest members of the Muscogee County Sheriff's Office have a special
talent for sniffing out the truth. They're dogs.

A narcotics dog and an explosives dog arrived in Columbus about two weeks
ago and have been patrolling since.

"This is a pro-active effort from the sheriff's office to protect citizens
and officers on the streets and to assist with criminal investigations,"
said Muscogee County Sheriff Ralph Johnson.

The K-9s have been working hard since they arrived. The narcotics dog has
participated in five warrant operations and the explosives dog has
conducted four bomb sweeps. The handlers and dogs will conduct searches in
the jail, airport, schools, government buildings and at area events and
gatherings. The explosives dog also will sweep businesses.

Both dogs conduct searches quickly following handlers' verbal commands and
hand signals.

They have a passive response to contraband: they sit down when they smell
something, and the handlers reward them with toys -- rubber balls.

Funding for the dogs and their training came from private and public
donations and grants. Cub Foods and Milkbone gave corporate donations to
help pay for the $8,000-$10,000 dogs, said Capt. Troy Culpepper.

The dogs completed initial training at the Global Training Academy in San
Antonio, Texas., then were transported to the Chatham County Sheriff's
Office in Savannah, Ga.

The office's federally funded K-9 program provided lodging for the dogs and
handlers while they developed working relationships and mastered search skills.

The explosives dog, a small Dutch shepherd, detects 15 different odors
related to explosives and has a 96 percent success rate locating
explosives. She works with Deputy Neil Grant and bomb technician Travis
Schnoor.

"It's an animal, a living being, so there is room for error, but very
little," Culpepper said.

The narcotics dog, a Belgian malinois, recognizes the scent of marijuana,
cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine and has a 93 percent success rate in
his searches. He also controls suspects and protects his handler, Deputy
Charles Flora.

The dogs ride with their handlers in specially equipped K-9 unit patrol cars.

The backseat of each car has been removed and a flat, padded surface
installed. The doors are lined with smooth metal sheets, and screens cover
the windows and separate the front seat from the dog's area. The
modifications cost about $2,200 per car.

Each handler has a remote access control for the rear doors of his vehicle
to release the dog from the car if attacked.

The dogs and their handlers generally will patrol together, though.

Working with the dogs allows officers to conduct searches more efficiently
and to find small, hidden contraband humans might miss.

"It is an enhancement to the program because the dogs can sweep an area
faster than humans," Johnson said.