Detecting illegal drugs is very difficult because small amounts can be easily hidden and stored. That is were Canine units come in. These special units are just one component of law enforcement and consist of an officer and one dog. It is the dog’s job to detect and find the odor of certain drugs. The most common drugs dogs are trained to detect are marijuana, cocaine in any form, methamphetamine, and heroine. However the dogs can pick up on other narcotics, if they have a similar scent.

Usually german shepherds, golden retrievers, and labradors are the dog of choice when it comes to detecting drugs and even explosive devices. The dogs usually begin their training at a little over one year old. The dogs are paired with one handler, and will stay with that handler for the remainder of their career. An enormous amount of responsibility is placed on the handlers as they must train their dog, feed them, take care of any veterinarian visits, and even house the dog.

To train the dogs towels are laced with the scent of either a drug or explosive device, and hidden for the dog to find. When they find them, the dogs are rewarded with a game of fetch. So, the dog associates those particular scents with their play toys. Because dogs are only trained to detect either narcotics or explosives their olfactory senses become very attuned to that scent over time. They smell that marijuana, cocaine, or smokeless powder all day long.

“We train in your high school at night when you’re not here, on your football field, and in any number of businesses that I have keys to. It’s a program we have, they give us the keys to the business and we bring the dog in at night, and that gives them a little extra security with police officers always being there,” said Sergeant Jim Hall.

It is very important that the dogs be trained in real world scenarios. The Canine unit trains their dogs to search office buildings, parking lots, and even neighborhoods. The dog’s training usually lasts for about 17 weeks. After they’re finished with the initial training period one shift per week is spent doing additional training.

Most dogs are now trained as passive alert dogs, which means when they detect the odor of a substance they sit down. However, their handlers can usually tell they have found something even before the dogs sit because their manner changes, they become excited and even wag their tails, since to them training is no different than a real day on the street. They are still expecting a good game of fetch as soon as they have fulfilled their duty. Passive alert dogs are especially useful in crowded areas such as, airports, bus stations, and even mailing facilities.

“A lot of narcotics come in through what we call trojan horse, where they’ll hide it. We’ve found marijuana in over 100 coffee cans, we had a case in Puerto Rico recently, and they had 12 kilos of cocaine that were welded into mirror frames,” said Pinellas County Sheriff deputy Pat Shea.

“If a dog alerts it’s probable cause. If the dog alerts to the outside of a vehicle, I can go in it. I don’t need a warrant,” said Hall.

Due to the Carol Doctrine which holds that if a drug sniffing dog detects the odor of narcotics in a place were it can be easily moved, i.e. a vehicle, or locker, from smelling the exterior of the vehicle, the officer has probable cause to search that vehicle. People attempt to hide drugs in a glove compartment, center console, or even a secret compartment built into the car. However, the dogs will still be able to detect the odor and will know it is or was somewhere in the car.

When it comes to narcotics searches in school, it is up to administrators to contact the police department and request a canine unit. The administrators choose the time and classrooms that are visited. When an officer enters a room to complete a drug search, he will state to the students the reason he is there, and proceed to offer students an amnesty period. During this period, the officer urges any student with drugs to come forward as this usually will result in a lesser punishment depending on the drug and the amount the student has. Possession of over 20 grams of marijuana is a felony in the state of Florida, any other narcotic such as methamphetamine, heroin, and any form of cocaine.

“We offer the amnesty so if you have something usually you won’t get in trouble if you turn it in, if it’s criminal, a lot of marijuana, or something like that, you might not go to jail, you know, but we’ll write a report on it,” said Hall

School administrators do not have to offer amnesty, so students may not be arrested but could still be punished according to the Code of Student Conduct. After the amnesty period the students and teacher are asked to leave the room, and the dog goes to work. In-school drug searches are always performed during school hours, usually lasting only one period long, and spontaneous to everyone except administrators.

Thanks to canine units police are able to find and cut down on narcotics in schools and around the community.