Pubdate: Tue, 23 Apr 2002
Source: Gadsden Times, The (AL)
Copyright: 2002 The Gadsden Times
Contact:  http://www.gadsdentimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1203
Author: Cindy West

ALBERTVILLE POLICE GET DRUG/TRACKING DOG

ALBERTVILLE - "Recon" is short for "reconnaissance," a word police officers 
and soldiers use to describe an exploratory mission. It's an appropriate 
name for Albertville's new drug and tracking dog.

Recon, a 3-year-old German Shepherd, isn't new to drug sniffing. Both dog 
and handler, John Siggers, recently moved from the Marshall County Drug 
Enforcement Unit. Acting Police Chief Benny Womack said the dog didn't cost 
the department anything, and his upkeep is minimal.

The department retrofitted a patrol car to suit the team, having the back 
seat pulled out and any fabric surfaces covered with sheet metal. The 
department also will pay for yearly training to keep both dog and handler 
certified to do their jobs. The training consists of yearly three-day field 
trials in the region, Siggers said.

The two have been working together for a year and a half. "I love working 
narcotics, and I love animals," Siggers said. As young as Recon is, he 
could be expected to have a fairly long career, but Siggers said the number 
of years a dog can work depends on lots of factors, including size.

At 115 pounds, Recon is large for his breed. Larger dogs sometimes have 
problems with their hip joints. "One dog could last 10 years, and another 
one could give it up at six," Siggers said. "A lot of times they will get 
burned out."

Siggers and Recon will be used for random vehicle and facilities searches 
at local schools and will continue to be used by other police agencies.

Part of the Albertville Police Department's agreement with the DEU was that 
Recon be allowed to work in other schools in the county.

"We used him last week in the drug raid at Chamblee's," Womack said, 
referring to a Boaz junkyard where the owner and eight other people were 
arrested on drug and weapons charges April 17.

Recon's tracking skills could be used if a child is missing. Although the 
dog and handler work the night shift, they will be available for tracking 
and drug-fighting activities at all times, Womack said. "This is our part 
of the drug war," Womack said.
"It's one of the steps we're trying to take to curb drug use."
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MAP posted-by: Alex