Auburn Police push to purchase a K9 officer

If the Auburn Police Department has its way, it may have a new officer one day — one with four legs.

The APD approached the Auburn City Council Thursday night to further discuss the possibility of purchasing a working canine to add to the staff.

The Auburn Police Department’s narcotics officer spoke to the council about the benefits of having a police dog.

As someone who works in the city, he sees the drug abuse that is going on, and told council members that in his years on the streets, he had seen what an effect that abuse has on Auburn’s residents.

“It’s not pretty,” he told the council.

Having a canine officer would be a further effort to remove drugs from Auburn’s streets, he told the City Council.

Auburn Police Chief Frederick Brown spoke to the council as well.

The city’s narcotics officer has experience with canine training, he said, and a well trained dog would have a positive impact on the community.

Brown told the council that there already had been donations made to the police department to support the dog.

As a matter of fact, he told the council, the cost of the dog — the police department would consider purchasing either a puppy to train or a certified dog — would be completely offset and supported by money obtained from drug seizures, and from donations that already have been made for the hypothetical dog.

The dog that the APD would choose would not only be used to sniff out narcotics, but would hopefully be able to be used in the event of missing persons.

The dog also would be cleared to be safe around children.

The council had discussed the possibility of purchasing a canine officer last year, so this was the second time that council members had a chance to discuss the merits of a dog on the police force.

Council member Dorissa Shackelford said she had done some research on the concept of police dogs, and that one of the main concerns was that the dog might bite an innocent person.

A member of the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office was on hand to discuss concerns such as this.

Oftentimes, he said, the dogs who bite are improperly trained.

The GCSO brought one of its canine officers to the meeting so that the council could get a firsthand look at a police dog.

The dog, which was kept on a leash, did not act aggressive and behaved while his trainer discussed how at three years of age, he still had things to learn and work to do.

Police dogs are specifically trained to assist police and other law-enforcement personnel in their work.

Police dogs – often referred to as “K9s” – can be used in a number of different ways.

Public order enforcement dogs can be used for direct apprehension of people.

Search and rescue dogs can be used to locate suspects or missing persons.

Detection dogs can be used to sniff out illegal substances, such as drugs or explosives, that might be in a person’s car or bag.

Cadaver dogs can be used to detect decomposing bodies.

Some of the most popular breeds of dogs that police use are the German Shepherd, Dutch Shepherd, Boxer, Doberman Pinscher, Bloodhound and Beagle.

Oftentimes, when police dogs grow old or are injured, they are retired to a life of a regular dog, usually with their handler.

Until then, though, the Auburn police dog would be on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year — for
whatever reason he or she might be needed.

The Auburn Council will take up the matter at its February meeting.

By Lona Panter

LINK

Advertisement