Police dogs seen as invaluable law enforcement tools

When a police officer chases a suspect, especially at night, he is at a huge disadvantage if the pursuit ends in an enclosed space.

That's when highly trained police K-9s can be invaluable. With their superior sense of smell and hearing, they may be able to locate a suspect far faster than officers. And it doesn't hurt that they can intimidate even the most hardened criminal with a snarling attack if given the command.

There are 25 K-9s used by law enforcement agencies in Ventura County as an extra layer of protection between violent suspects and police officers.

That total is expected to increase soon. The Port Hueneme Police Department recently received a $25,000 pass-through grant by the Oxnard Harbor District from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to add a fifth K-9. That which would give the agency the second highest total in the county, behind the Sheriff's Department.

"Most of the time, we never even have to send the dog. We tell the suspect, 'Don't run, or we'll send the dog,' and any suspect that's smart enough and reasonable sees they don't want to get bitten and surrenders," Port Hueneme Police Chief Kathleen Sheehan said.

"The dogs find more bad guys and protect the officers, but the biggest thing is they prevent the suspect from fighting or running. It happens every night."

In addition to FEMA grants, the department gets private donations from individuals and local businesses to pay for the dogs, she said.

Police departments throughout Ventura County, including the Sheriff's Office, supplement their K-9 programs in similar fashion, using money donated by nonprofits and private individuals. The dogs, which cost up to $10,000 each, are predominantly German shepherds. A dog typically is assigned to a police officer, or handler, who works and lives with it. A team requires special training that costs about another $10,000.

The dogs are worth the expense, according to law enforcement officials.

The Oxnard Police Department has four dogs in its K-9 program, according to Cmdr. Eric Sonstegard, who leads the unit. He said the department had five dogs from 2002 to 2007, but reduced the number because of staffing issues.

"The dogs get the most work with narcotics detection," he said. "There were 475 narcotics searches in 2011. It's the No. 1 thing we use the dogs for, but there also is obviously the officer's safety. We are able to use (the dogs) to search buildings or backyards where it would be dangerous for officers to go in. And the dogs are able to find people a lot more  easily."

The Sheriff's Office has seven dogs — six German shepherd patrol dogs and one black Labrador narcotics/contraband dog, which is used in the jails, according to Capt. Dave Murray, the K-9 manager.

"The Lab is not a street dog. It's not trained in apprehension. It does narcotics detection and some tracking, but it's not trained for the streets," Murray said, adding that there is a K-9 unit assigned to each city that contracts with the department: Thousand Oaks, Camarillo, Moorpark, Ojai and Fillmore.

Murray emphasized that the K-9 program wouldn't be possible without the help of the Ventura County Sheriff's Foundation. "These wonderful folks put on benefits to fund things for our department that we would otherwise not be able to afford," he said.

The foundation pays for the purchase of a dog, follow-up veterinary care and other expenses.

In Simi Valley, police Sgt. James Buckley said, a police foundation pays for the purchase and training of a dog, but the department covers the remaining costs. He said the department's three K-9s perform an invaluable service.

"The dogs are used best to prevent harm. They are a tool that's available," Buckley said. "Recently we had a robbery suspect hidden in the bushes who could not be seen by the patrol officer, but the dog caught his scent and brought him out, providing a peaceful end to the situation without officers having to expose themselves."

In Ventura, police use four K-9s to help patrol the city, according to Public Communications Officer Kevin Jeffries. In addition to assisting officers, the dogs are a great way to reach out to the community. The department holds five or six meet-and-greets a year at which members of the public may see the dogs perform tasks and meet them.

"The dogs are a big part of what the department does to integrate with the community," Jeffries said.

The Santa Paula Police Department also has three police dogs.

Sheehan said her department will buy its newest dog through Gold Coast K-9 in Ventura, which searches for specially bred and trained animals in Germany, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic.

The department estimates the purchase of the dog and training will total $15,701, with the balance of the $25,000 grant going to the K-9 program fund. The plan is to assign one K-9 team to the special-problems unit that serves warrants to violent offenders and parolees, with the other four teams providing round-the-clock coverage for Port Hueneme, Sheehan wrote in a staff report.

Officers who are assigned a K-9 must adopt the dog into the family. "The K-9 becomes a member of the family," Sheehan said. "It's like another child, like having a 90-pound child."

Murray said when the time comes for a dog to retire from duty, after six to eight years, the handler has the option of buying the dog as a family pet — most do.