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K-9's in Worcester County

(Click here to view the original thread on the MassCops Message Board)

Posted by: PBC FL Cop

Wednesday, January 30, 2008 Ruff duty

K-9 units welcome a chance to unleash the dogs

WHERE WE LIVE

By Scott J. Croteau TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
scroteau@telegram.com

Worcester K-9 Officer and dog trainer Stephen C. Cortis carries Brie, 2, a Belgian Malinois, on his shoulders. Officer Cortis trains, handles and cares for Brie, who is involved in about 100 drug raids a year, searching houses, garages, attics, cars and packages. (T&G Staff/CHRISTINE



Lt. Mark Kent, left, with Rusty, a chocolate Labrador; Officer Shawn Conley with Hope, a bloodhound, and Officer Thomas Welch with Dago, a German shepherd. (Photo courtesy of Worcester County Sheriff's Dept.)



A suspect’s footprints started the trail, but a snowplow obliterated them. Then it was all up to scent and the 600 hours of training that a police dog goes through to track someone’s smell.



'On Jan. 14, Auburn Police Officer James Ljunggren and his police dog, Bier, a Belgian Malinois, followed a half-mile trail to the Auburn Mall from a stolen car used by the man wanted for allegedly robbing a Worcester gas station.

'The tracking skills of the dog prompted the suspect, Carlos Mena of Worcester, to allegedly say, “That’s a good dog. He tracked me all the way over here.” Mr. Mena is facing robbery charges in court.

'Worcester County Sheriff Guy W. Glodis puts the use of police dogs, or K-9 units, and their effectiveness in simple terms. “They are a huge weapon in the war on crime,” he said. “They can be used in so many different ways.”

The sheriff’s department uses its seven dogs and six handlers in numerous capacities. Searches for people, cell searches, drug finds — including cooperating with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service — and keeping a dangerous inmate at bay during transfer are all duties the dogs and their handlers perform.

The dogs, which include a chocolate Labrador, bloodhounds and German shepherds, are part of the operating budget for the sheriff’s office. Rusty, the chocolate Lab, has sniffed out 10 kilograms of cocaine and more than 68 pounds of marijuana during its career.

Rusty and handler Lt. Mark Kent recorded the highest yield of drug seizures in Central Massachusetts over the past two years, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Last year, Rusty won top honors at the U.S. Police Canine Association New England competition.

Dogs are commonly used by law enforcement in Central Massachusetts to track hidden drugs, including cocaine, heroin, marijuana and sometimes methamphetamine, although their handlers quickly point out that dogs also undertake other crime-fighting tasks.

Rusty can also detect oxycodone and other prescription drugs.

Massachusetts Environmental Police dogs have been taught to track the scent of fish or venison, aiding in that agency’s enforcement of game laws.

With about 25 times more smell receptors than people, trained dogs can find drugs hidden in special compartments, called hides, in cars, as well as on people, in houses and other places.The balancing act for most local police departments is finding cash and using it for dog training during lean financial times.

Worcester has one dog, Brie, a Belgian Malinois, trained by K-9 Officer Stephen C. Cortis. The department will soon have another dog, Gizmo, currently in training and undergoing a physical to assist the vice squad in drug searches.

Worcester Police Chief Gary J. Gemme said the dogs find drugs and perform patrol duties. In the 1990s, Worcester had several dogs, but the animals were not replaced as they retired.

He hopes to bring more patrol dogs to the city, but said there are obstacles such as finding handlers — officers — and funding. Specialized vehicles are also needed — about $1,500 worth of modifications to a cruiser — and the department is responsible for the dog, its food and veterinary services for the dog’s life, even after it retires.

“Right now we’re looking at a proposal, but we have tough fiscal times and competing needs,” Chief Gemme said.

Vehicles need repair and replacement, jobs need to be filled and capital improvements needed at the police station all compound the balancing act.

Westboro’s now retired police dog, Xsara, was well-known for her skills at finding drugs. The dog and her handler, Sgt. Peter Goodney, were frequently used by neighboring departments. But at the end of last year, budget constraints forced an end to the canine program in Westboro. The program cost up to $15,000 a year, including food, training and medical expenses, with the bulk going for overtime pay to officers.

Hudson Police Chief Richard A. Braga said his department had two dogs in the 1970s — before his tenure in the department. Bringing dogs back has been discussed, though such a move would likely be a tough sell, he said.

“Any new expense in the lean times we’re facing right now certainly would be difficult to justify,” Chief Braga said.

Shrewsbury police brought back the canine program after $12,000 was appropriated at town meeting in May. Before 2000, the town had a successful program with several high-profile dogs. Buzzy stays with Officer Chad Chysna; donations of more than $1,500 along with kennel materials offset some of the cost. A local veterinarian donates services.

Business and company donations have helped Worcester’s Officer Cortis pay for his dogs over the years. Police dogs cost from $4,000 to $6,000 and many come from Europe, Officer Cortis said.

Sutton Police Officer Christopher C. Cowan — he’s had his Belgian Malinois Titan for two years — paid for the $6,000 dog by soliciting donations. He even receives food and veterinary services for the life of the dog from the Uxbridge Animal Hospital.

“I would say most canine handlers will do whatever it takes to keep their program going as long as their department allows them to go out and ask for help from the community,” Officer Cowan said.

Titan has made drug busts, tracked a missing person using a scent retrieved from a door handle and is often called to assist neighboring towns. Officer Cowan said what affects the neighboring towns also creeps into his, and that’s why he helps out. Calling in neighboring dogs or state police dogs happens often in Central Massachusetts.

Sutton Police Chief Denis Towle said drug money from seizures makes the program largely self-sustaining.

Officer Ljunggren, president of the U.S. Police Canine Association’s New England area — Officer Cortis is vice president — said his budget to run Auburn’s program is about $1,600 a year, which covers food and veterinary services.“We’ve been able to fund our K-9 unit and the equipment with the seizures the dog makes,” he said.

The officer said a minimum of 16 hours of in-service training each month is required for the handler and dog.

The overtime is something departments need to look at. Some officers do the work on their own time.

“I’m constantly training her,” Officer Cortis said. “I will set up a hide to find and give a reward.”

When local departments and sometimes departments from outside Central Massachusetts need dogs trained, they go to Officer Cortis and Officer Ljunggren, who has helped train drug dogs in Florida. They often train at the vacant former Best Western Yankee Drummer Inn in Auburn.

Towels covered in the scent of the drugs are hidden and the dogs go searching. That’s a method handlers use to introduce scents to the dogs.

Shrewsbury’s dog Buzzy is undergoing a 26-week program at the Boston Police Department, and in the first six weeks will be trained in drug recovery and scent detection for narcotics. The dog will then learn criminal apprehension, building searches and tracking people.

Officers Ljunggren and Cortis, who have years of dog-training experience, say a training facility is needed in Central Massachusetts. Officer Ljunggren has been searching for grants or private donations for a regional facility.

The varied use of police dogs was demonstrated over the past few weeks in Worcester. Dogs and handlers from the state police fire and explosion investigation section assigned to the state fire marshal’s office were called for a suspicious fire and an explosives investigation.

State police Sgt. Timothy P. Bombard and his accelerant-sniffing dog, Cedar, checked around 43 Lancaster St. on Jan. 23. The dilapidated condition of the vacant three-decker, which was destroyed by a fire later deemed arson, made it hard for the dog to find a scent.


Posted by: rg1283

Is it just me or does Worcester have to call the MSP a lot when they are tracking a suspect? Is Worcester's dog a drug dog only? I noticed the same with Boston lately. Always calling the MSP or Suffolk Sheriff. I'm aware that K-9 officers aren't always available.


Posted by: PaulKersey

Quote:
Originally Posted by rg1283 View Post
Is Worcester's dog a drug dog only? I noticed the same with Boston lately. Always calling the MSP or Suffolk Sheriff. I'm aware that K-9 officers aren't always available.
If you don't have a dog available in the Boston area and you call the state, you will get at least two dogs, sometimes four. I don't remember the last time just one dog showed up. They're there pretty quick also. Between the new k9's they put on the last year or two, GPS, and the fact that they sometimes scan your channels and know you need a dog -they're their before some of your own units many times. That's called service.


Posted by: Deuce

[quote=rg1283;255580] Is Worcester's dog a drug dog only? quote]


Yes..


Posted by: PBC FL Cop

[quote=Deuce;255684]
Quote:
Originally Posted by rg1283 View Post
Is Worcester's dog a drug dog only? quote]


Yes..
That's unfortunate, in a city the size of Worcester, one would think they would have a dog for every occasion.


Posted by: Deuce

Quote:
Originally Posted by PBC FL Cop View Post
That's unfortunate, in a city the size of Worcester, one would think they would have a dog for every occasion.


Yes my friend, we ground pounders feel the same way. However this city and this department are, well.. They're run, um.. Priorities are... well.. Dude I have nothing good to say really so I'm going to do what mom always said and say nothing at all...


Posted by: Killjoy

K-9's are the best units in special ops. I wish we had a hundred of them.


Posted by: lawdog671

Funny how Chief Gemme offers up how a city the size of Worcester, with all its crime, and NEED for K-9's can only say how fiscally they cant afford a dog....meanwhile Sheriff Media Guy goes on and on about their 7 dogs....with their biggest dogs seizure having been a tip ....talk about a screwed up system....WPD should take the dogs from WCSO...it's not their fault they're being run by hacks.....

Oh and since STR8 ..I know youre lurking out there.....after speaking direct to the source...funny how everything mentioned about WCSO and K-9's are always at the "town's request"...Your Lieutenant in Auburn for the dog and pony show...didn't go at their request (Auburn has Jim Ljunggren)..and didn't even have the courtesy to contact the Chief or Jim about it...I know this for a fact...so all your crap about at the request...Im sure that this happens all the time....in several towns...
Still waiting on my callback from Steve Kenneway about your staffing and your guided tour of the jail....don't worry I know the way out when you get lost....


Posted by: badgebunny

Quote:
Originally Posted by lawdog671 View Post
Funny how Chief Gemme offers up how a city the size of Worcester, with all its crime, and NEED for K-9's can only say how fiscally they cant afford a dog....meanwhile Sheriff Media Guy goes on and on about their 7 dogs....with their biggest dogs seizure having been a tip ....talk about a screwed up system....WPD should take the dogs from WCSO...it's not their fault they're being run by hacks.....

Oh and since STR8 ..I know youre lurking out there.....after speaking direct to the source...funny how everything mentioned about WCSO and K-9's are always at the "town's request"...Your Lieutenant in Auburn for the dog and pony show...didn't go at their request (Auburn has Jim Ljunggren)..and didn't even have the courtesy to contact the Chief or Jim about it...I know this for a fact...so all your crap about at the request...Im sure that this happens all the time....in several towns...
Still waiting on my callback from Steve Kenneway about your staffing and your guided tour of the jail....don't worry I know the way out when you get lost....

lawdog your responses get better and better...I it!!!


Posted by: Foxy85

WCSO has 7 K-9's....roughly 2 per shift? for the JAIL???? Good use of finances up there.....WTF?


Posted by: SinePari

Quote:
Originally Posted by lawdog671 View Post
Funny how Chief Gemme offers up how a city the size of Worcester, with all its crime, and NEED for K-9's can only say how fiscally they cant afford a dog....meanwhile Sheriff Media Guy goes on and on about their 7 dogs....with their biggest dogs seizure having been a tip ....talk about a screwed up system....WPD should take the dogs from WCSO...it's not their fault they're being run by hacks.....

Oh and since STR8 ..I know youre lurking out there.....after speaking direct to the source...funny how everything mentioned about WCSO and K-9's are always at the "town's request"...Your Lieutenant in Auburn for the dog and pony show...didn't go at their request (Auburn has Jim Ljunggren)..and didn't even have the courtesy to contact the Chief or Jim about it...I know this for a fact...so all your crap about at the request...Im sure that this happens all the time....in several towns...
Still waiting on my callback from Steve Kenneway about your staffing and your guided tour of the jail....don't worry I know the way out when you get lost....
I told you guys that about on page whatever in the LONG thread about them magically showing up without a call. I remember an incident in a large central MA town where a K-9 was requested, the MSP dog was on another call, and the dispatcher relayed that the sheriff dog was en route (call-jumping via scanner). The officer responded "tell them to disregard".

Now str8t would interpret that as thick-headed or not interested in public safety or some crap like that. But some towns know the k-9 troopers on their shift and have great working relationships (some are former officers of said towns) with awesome dogs. I've heard towns specifically asking for a certain k-9 trooper in hot situations.

You must train k-9s in the environment you work in. A static excercise in a building with interior odors and smells does not make a dog reliable on the highway with TTs zipping past you at 70 mph, or through the woods of some town with food joints everywhere and a trash dump nearby.


Posted by: jay-z

Does anyone know the function of the MBTA canine units. I hear they have 20 or so dogs, from tracking to bomb..Do they respond to other towns or just the T.


Posted by: PearlOnyx

WCSO only has 7? There are some SO's with 15-20 for one facility. When you factor in vacations, regular days off, regular training, and off-site jobs, 7 isn't all that much. Assuming, you have 1 dog on property, 7 days a week, on all 3 shifts.


Posted by: USMCMP5811

Quote:
Originally Posted by jay-z View Post
Does anyone know the function of the MBTA canine units. I hear they have 20 or so dogs, from tracking to bomb..Do they respond to other towns or just the T.

Just call and the T will come




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