Pubdate: Wed, 30 Jan 2008 Source: Lamar Daily News (CO) Copyright: 2008 Lamar Daily News Contact: http://www.lamardaily.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3373 Author: Mary Breslin LPD SETS SIGHTS ON CANINE UNIT Lamar Police Chief Brian Phillips told The Lamar Ledger Monday he intends to move forward with plans to add a canine unit to the force in the near future. Phillips said his own experience as a canine officer in Florida during the 1990s has convinced him the dogs are an invaluable tool in both drug interdiction and search capacities. In a recent press release Phillips commented that currently, when police suspect the presence of drugs, the department's ability to search is limited by the constitutional rights of individuals. On the other hand, if a drug sniffing dog is present and alerts officers to the presence of illegal drugs, probable cause for a further search is established. The new chief said he is familiar with the breeder in Indiana chosen by the Lamar Police Department. According to Phillips the breeder is nationally known for excellence in breeding and training dogs for use in police work. Phillips said the breed of the new dog will be determined by several factors including what it will be used for and the preference of the officer who will be handling the dog, since the dog will reside with the officer and his family. He explained the dog could be trained and used strictly for drug sniffing or it could be cross-trained and used for various types of searches. The dog could be working in the community within three months of the time it is selected, he said. Phillips noted that when adequate funds have been raised, a trip will be made to Indiana to select the dog. Once selected, the dog and its handler will enter a training program in Indiana that will take about ten weeks. Following the training period, the dog is certified by the trainer and will make the trip with its handler home to Lamar. After Colorado certification the dog and its handler will go to work together in Lamar. Phillips said there are a number of ways in which the community can help out with getting a K-9 unit up and running in Lamar. "I was out playing with my kids the other day and someone stopped to tell me he would donate the work to dig the post holes for the kennel at the handler's home," he said. In addition, he said, items such as veterinary care, dog food, special equipment that must be installed in the vehicle used to transport the dog may all be donated, thus furthering the effort to get a dog here sooner. The chief said a special remote release will need to be installed which will allow the handler to release the dog from the vehicle when necessary, such as if the officer is away from the vehicle or is assaulted by a suspect, or in cases when a suspect runs away the from the officer. "I want this to be a safe community. I live here and so do my kids. If they can get to be 18 years old and never even see any marijuana, then I will have done my job," Phillips said. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake