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Drug dealers' great bane to arrive
By KATHY SAUNDERS TREASURE ISLAND -- When it comes to patrol duties, Kevin is among the best backups on the city's police force. He can chase suspects, track them through bushes or search for evidence at crime scenes. But when it comes to sniffing out drugs, well, the 3-year-old German shepherd just isn't interested. "He's a drug-free dog," said Sgt. Tim Casey. So earlier this year, the department bought Dixie, a black Labrador trained specifically to search for illegal drugs. But Dixie never got out of roll call. "She just had a tendency to be hostile with small children," Casey said. "We didn't even put her in service." Because Dixie was still under warranty from her breeder, the department sent her home to Cordova, Tenn., within a week. Now, Treasure Island is awaiting her replacement, a 16-month-old black Lab named Sasha. The city paid $5,500 to breeder Mark Robertson, who is replacing Dixie with Sasha for no extra fee. The money for the new dog came from property that was seized by the department and later sold, including automobiles taken in drug arrests. Sasha's only assignment will be to find illegal drugs. "She wouldn't know how to search a building any more than the man on the moon," said Casey. Sasha will live with her handler, Officer Mike VanZile, and his family. The city had a Jeep remodeled to accommodate the dogs. A remote control door can be activated from the handler's belt. The vehicle is temperature-controlled with automatic fans and window openers to keep the dogs cool in case the officer is detained away from the car. Casey said K-9 dogs typically are trained in one discipline. They work at least a year before police introduce another job. Kevin, who was purchased in 2000, always located drugs in training, Casey said. "He just never kept interest in it," he said, adding that dependable drug-sniffing dogs go ballistic when they find illegal substances. Once Sasha is certified by the state, Casey expects her to put a dent in local illegal drug traffic. "There's an awful lot of traffic that passes through Treasure Island," he said. "I imagine after a year with a new dog we'll have some statistics on that."
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From the Times South Pinellas desks Letters |
