BART COP DEFENDS DRUG DOGS

Why Sniff On BART?

Editor -- When BART runs to San Francisco International Airport, BART
police will be interfacing with the U.S. Customs Service. As part of the
liaison and training between law-enforcement agencies, a U.S. Customs
drug-detection canine and its handler were teamed with BART officers. The
pilot program, for three eight-hour shifts, provided orientation training
and enabled officers from both agencies to learn how each other operates.

Deployment of the U.S. Customs dog on BART was similar to BART police
canine teams patrolling stations and trains. The difference is that a
canine trained to detect narcotics stops, sits and faces the person who is
in possession of an illegal substance. It is a non-intrusive and passive
method that has withstood legal challenges.

Detainees who were cited during the joint operation -- no pun intended --
were charged with a state infraction, not a federal crime. BART police
never target anyone who has a verifiable identification as a medical
marijuana user under Proposition 215.

One reader (Letters, Dec. 17) opined that persons "high" on drugs should
rely on public transportation. While I agree that anyone under the
influence should not drive, there are levels of "high" from drugs or alcohol.

The standard is whether a person can exercise self-care and provide for his
or her own safety, as well as that of others. It is not merely whether he
or she is "harmless." Police officers are trained to make that
determination, not the canine.

GARY GEE

BART chief of police