Pubdate: Mon, 23 Aug 2004
Source: Jacksonville Daily News (NC)
Copyright: 2004 Jacksonville Daily News
Contact:  http://www.jacksonvilledailynews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/216
Author: Jannette Pippin, Daily News Staff
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)

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.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager