NCJ Number
129112
Journal
American Jails Volume: 4 Issue: 5 Dated: (January/February 1991) Pages: 64-66
Date Published
1991
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article describes the use of a beagle in tracking and drug sniffing with K-9 handlers in the Volusia County Department of Corrections in Daytona Beach, FL.
Abstract
O.L. Cruiser is the only dog used inside either a county jail or State prison in Florida. For two years, the K-9 handler and O.L. Cruiser have worked as partners in searching cellblocks and sniffing out potential drug carriers in the visitation rooms. Both partners attended a month-long drug sniffing school at the Mid-Florida Criminal Justice Training and Standards Center. O.L. Cruiser credits include recapture of several escaped inmates from three different institutions. Her stamina and tenacity on a 13-hour track, outlasting bloodhounds by 8 hours, led to her job as a drug sniffer. To date she has several drug finds to her credit, one of which involved only a few flakes of marijuana in an inmate's mattress. The gentle nature, small size, and low maintenance cost make the beagle a good choice of dog for handlers.