Pubdate: Wed, 25 Aug 2004 Source: Kansas City Star (MO) Copyright: 2004 The Kansas City Star Contact: http://www.kcstar.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/221 Author: Su Bacon, Special to The Star PATROL KEEPS PROPERTIES DRUG-FREE Property managers have a new ally in their efforts to provide safe, drug-free housing for their residents. "She's a redhead and her name is Roxy," said Greg McQuade, an officer with Metropolitan Patrol, a private security firm based in Claycomo. Roxy is McQuade's partner and she does most of the work when the assignment is to find illegal drugs. "When the leash comes out, she's ready to go," McQuade said. McQuade's partner is a 2-year-old, 56-pound golden retriever trained to find marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and other illegal substances. When McQuade gives her the command to find narcotics, Roxy is all business. She begins sniffing back and forth, up and down, floors, walls, drawers, cabinets - all over the site in question. When she smells narcotics, she paws excitedly at the hiding place. She won't quit until McQuade praises her and ends the search. Roxy's nose is 97 percent accurate, he said. The dogs are trained to detect a drug's distinct odor. That's good news for apartment managers and bad news for residents who sell, use, manufacture, distribute or possess illegal substances. "Being able to use the patrol's dogs helps us enforce the occupancy agreements that all members sign," said Melva Linville, a North Kansas City property manager. Linville manages seven townhouse complexes in the Northland, Kansas City, Independence, Blue Springs and Lawrence. "The townhouses are maintained as drug-free properties," Linville said. Residents agree not to use drugs when they move in. Those found to have narcotics on the property can be evicted. Linville said that three of the housing cooperatives have successfully used the patrol's canine services to detect drug use. "We're not there to arrest," McQuade explained. "We're there just to enforce the lease." Roxy is one of three narcotics-detecting dogs used by the patrol. The dogs are available for $75 for a three-hour minimum. For years, Metropolitan Patrol has provided vehicular and foot patrols to homeowners associations, apartment complexes and other multiple-family housing developments across the Kansas City area. In 2002, they added a canine patrol as another way to help business owners and property managers deter crime and keep their communities safe, McQuade said. "Drug use brings vandalism, destruction of property and all kinds of unwanted activity," he said. The dogs help rid a community of drug users and when used consistently, they can act as a deterrent to crime. "We've gone to court three times when the dogs indicated drugs in an apartment," said Michelle Moon, site manager for Brighton Place Apartments, 32 rental units at 1905 Hardesty Ave., Kansas City. Moon began using the dogs two years ago. In the past, drug activity was suspected at an apartment when there was a lot of traffic to and from the building. The dogs confirmed the suspicions. Now, eviction proceedings are rarely necessary, Moon said. Residents don't fight what the dog's nose shows. "I work with HUD (Housing and Urban Development) property," Moon said. "HUD has tenants sign a drug-free/crime-free lease." Violating the agreement can cause the lease to be terminated and the tenant evicted. After a drug-user has been evicted, Moon said, she brings the dog back to the apartment to make sure that all the drugs are gone and there's no residue for new tenants. To keep the dogs' noses in working order, the patrol's canine handlers spend six hours a week in training with their dogs. They sharpen the dog's olfactory skills in searches at a vacant house near their headquarters. The dogs are not only the officers' partners but also their pets. Off-duty, they live with their handlers. When she's not fighting crime, Roxy enjoys all the typical pup pastimes - playing ball, strolling the beach and cuddling on the couch. - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager