Florence police chief training new K-9 dog
October 2, 2008
FLORENCE — Police Chief Jeff Dever said he didn’t have a hard time picking his new police dog this year from among canines of more than 30 breeds.
“Stash and I just got along the best,” Dever said, as he handed the spunky chocolate Labrador retriever a toy.
Stash and Dever completed the handler’s training and drug detection courses in August. The 3-year-old dog and Dever make up Florence’s first full-time police K-9 unit. Last year, the city had a part-time officer with a drug dog, but the officer and the dog left the department this year.
Stash has not made a bust yet, and Dever said it will take a few more months for them to strengthen their relationship. Stash stays with Dever day and night; he has a kennel at Dever’s home.
Florence, a town of about 1,300, has two full-time officers and seven part-time officers.
“The city doesn’t have a large drug problem, but we have problems just like any other city does,” Dever said, with about 20 to 30 drug arrests each year. “The drugs are mostly marijuana and methamphetamine.”
He continues training with Stash by going to Florence Middle School when school is out and planting a bag of narcotics in a locker or by getting another officer to hide the drugs in a police car. Dever said he plans to start patrolling area schools with Stash by the end of the year.
Stash is trained to smell marijuana, cocaine or any opiate-based drug such as heroin. When he smells drugs, he jumps, barks or scratches at the area. He is not trained to bite or subdue suspects.
The Williamson County sheriff’s office has five dogs. Other cities in the county with K-9 units include Round Rock and Cedar Park, which received a grant this year from Milk-Bone for its dog, Scout.
Dogs “can be used for narcotics but also to help in suspect searches, missing children searches and handler protection,” said Capt. Jeff Hayes, a Cedar Park Police Department spokesman.
The City of Florence bought Stash for $4,000 from the Canine Academy Training Center in Cedar Park..
He originally was rescued from the Round Rock Animal Shelter, Dever said. Now, Nutro Products Inc. is donating food for Stash for one year, and PetSmart has offered dog supplies to Dever.
