NCJ Number
127739
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 58 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1991) Pages: 50-52
Date Published
1991
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The Virginia State Police employs 28 dogs who do everything from finding lost children to locating weapons, explosives, and narcotics.
Abstract
When the canine program began in 1961, there were 5 German Shepherds used primarily for tracking criminals and crowd control. Later, Labrador retrievers and other breeds were added. Within the first year after implementation of its narcotic canine program, dogs were systematic in the seizure of 1,064 grams of 85 percent pure cocaine from a vehicle; 105 pounds of marijuana from a vehicle; 2 kilograms of 87 percent pure cocaine, 500 individual packets of heroin, $1,700 in U.S. currency and $2,500 in gold jewelry from luggage; 223 vials of crack and $1,025 from luggage belonging to a suspected drug dealer; and $700,000 worth of heroin and $369,000 from the home of a suspected drug dealer. Dogs are acquired from pounds, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and from private donors. Dogs trained to respond aggressively are best used to find hidden drugs; passive response-trained dogs are used at border checkpoints and airports to detect drug odor on humans and their possessions.