Mesa police relying more on dogs’ help

December 2007: A Mesa police dog tracks down a man who hid in a garbage can after bolting from a van loaded with 2,314 pounds of marijuana valued at $1.4 million.

August 2006: Leon, another Mesa police dog, gets national attention after helping police subdue a 350-pound man during a 90-minute standoff on U.S. 60. The incident included the rescue of an infant from inside the man’s vehicle.

Police dogs, with their keen sense of smell and hearing, have proven themselves to be valuable members of police forces worldwide. And after 20 years, the Mesa Police Department has found itself relying more heavily on them.

Mesa’s K-9 Unit was formed in 1989, with three police dog handlers and three dogs trained to find people and narcotics. Today, the department has seven officers for 11 police dogs, seven of them Belgian Malinois, which resemble a small German shepherd.

Mesa gets its dogs from a vendor in California that imports them from Europe, though two of the department’s current dogs were bred and raised in Arizona. Average cost: about $9,600 each.

Scott Callender, a second-generation officer with the K-9 Unit, said working with a dog brings with it a different approach to police work. As an officer, Callender said he was trained to be aware of everything around him; now he focuses on his dog, Jake.

“My job is to read the dog and look for subtle changes and be the interpreter,” Callender said “If I miss the subtle changes, I could potentially pull him off the trail of a bad guy.”

Narcotics dogs are mainly trained to find heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine and cocaine, Callender said, and are able to pick up drug odor from money exposed to drugs.

The Belgium Malinois are mainly used as patrol dogs, while Labradors are used for narcotics and German shepherds for finding explosives..

Mesa K-9s typically work four 10-hour days, mostly at night. But it’s not all work for police dogs. K-9s live with their handlers, but it is the handlers’ preference as to how much interaction they have with the rest of the family.

Callender said Jake is a part of his family and interacts fully with his children.

“He’s the family pet on his days off.” Callender said. “Him bonding with me on his time off is important.”

Mesa lost its first police dog in the line of duty in 2007. Leon, a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois, died after a vehicle struck him as he chased a man who had thrown a bicycle at an officer. The motorist was never found.

“As dog handlers, we are very close with them and they are our partners, but they are a tool.” Callender said. “Their primary job is to smell things we can’t, but at the same time, we call on them to potentially sacrifice their lives for us.”

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