One of Morgan Hill
’s finest has just completed additional training to give him new
skills in fighting crime; Sasko, the German Shepherd half of MHPD’s
K-9 team, is now a qualified narcotics search dog.
One of Morgan Hill’s finest has just completed additional training to give him new skills in fighting crime; Sasko, the German Shepherd half of MHPD’s K-9 team, is now a qualified narcotics search dog.
He’s with a been back on the job a week, and he’s already searched six cars and one residence. He made his first official find Tuesday night, according to his human partner, Officer Gary Smith.
“He was able to find 14 grams of marijuana, which is roughly half an ounce, or half of your average sandwich baggie stuffed with marijuana,” Smith said. “The search was in Community Park, in the suspect’s vehicle. The suspect, who was from Gilroy, also had other baggies and a scale and was arrested for possession and sale of marijuana.”
Sasko and Smith completed a 160-hour, four-week training session last week. Sasko is now able to sniff out methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, marijuana and hashish – even in minute quantities.
“He can even sniff out the residue (of a drug),” Smith said. “For example, drug money, which is handled by people who are also handling the drugs, often has residue on it. Sasko would be able to find not only the drugs but also the money.”
Morgan Hill Police Chief Jerry Galvin said though the training cost approximately $10,000, with $3,800 in donations from the Community Law Enforcement Foundation making the city’s portion approximately $6,200 in school fee, room and board and salary costs, it was worth it.
“We’re excited about it,” he said. “This gives us another good tool in our drug efforts.”
Since many of the drug cases the police department handles involve methamphetamine, Galvin said he could see Sasko putting his training to work in that area.
“We have a meth problem in this city,” he said. “It’s our most dangerous drug. So it is most appropriate that he is trained to sniff it out.”
Smith said he and Sasko will be on call “24/7,” as they were before the training. If an officer sees a need for Sasko, then Smith and Sasko go into action. They have regular patrol hours, but unless there is a need for Sasko specifically, he stays in the car.
Galvin said Sasko and Smith would have the same mutual aid arrangement the department now has with Gilroy.
“It’s no different,” he said. “For example, if they had a big bust and they needed the dog, then of course they would go help with the search.”
Smith said other Bay Area cities with narcotics-sniffing dogs have seen success with the program.
“Cities like Sunnyvale, where drug dogs have reclaimed millions of dollars in asset forfeitures for their cities and been instrumental in finding narcotics and drug money,” he said. “Dogs trained to sniff for narcotics are very successful, more efficient and quicker in searching than officers. A typical vehicle stop where we suspect there may be drugs, it can take an officer 20 to 25 minutes to search. Sasko would hone in much quicker and find hidden compartments if there were any, by using his nose.”
Using that powerful nose for long periods of time can be exhausting for a search dog, Smith said.
“The trainer said it is like a human running a mile only breathing through their nose,” he said. “During the training, with the dogs doing one search after the other, they were all constantly beat. But Sasko was able to get a full weekend’s rest before he came back to work.”
The training took place all over the Bay Area, Smith said, in Half Moon Bay, Tracy and even San Francisco International Airport. There were seven teams participating, from Martinez to San Mateo to Colma.
“The first two or three days of the training, the dogs just played with toys with the scent of a narcotic,” said Smith. “Drugs were rolled up in a terry towel tied at both ends then hidden in the play toy. Within the second week, the towel was taken out of the equation and it was just the drugs in the toy.
“Finally, it was just the drugs, and the dogs were rewarded with their favorite toy if they found them. So really, the dogs were just looking for their favorite toy.”
Smith said the training sessions after the dogs actually began searching were held in abandoned or old buildings and in old vehicles. The drugs were hidden in drawers, behind doors, in hidden compartments in the vehicles. The sessions took place in abandoned buildings and old cars because it wouldn’t matter if property was destroyed.
“Sasko is an aggressive indication dog,” Smith said. “When he sniffs out a narcotic, he tries everything to try and get to it … Doors were torn up, car upholstery, and paint was scratched up. That’s the reason the training is held where it is.”
Smith said Sasko caught on very quickly.
“He was playful to begin with, so this was perfect for him,” he said.
Now, Sasko knows what is expected of him by the collar he wears.
“He actually has two different collars he wears on duty,” said Smith. “He wears his regular patrol collar when we go out, but when we get a call for a drug search, he wears his leather collar, and he knows it’s time to go search for drugs.”
Or his favorite toy.
