NCJ Number
197802
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 69 Issue: 11 Dated: November 2002 Pages: 18-21,23
Date Published
November 2002
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article describes the work of the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms) Canine Training Branch, a unique 24,000-square-foot facility that teaches dogs how to locate explosives, weapons, and post-blast evidence.
Abstract
The training center, which opened in May 2001 in Front Royal, Virginia, is the home of the Explosives Detection Canine Handlers Course, an intensive 10-week course that teaches State, local, Federal, and foreign police officers the skills necessary to handle this highly mobile explosive-detection tool. The training branch also delivers the 5-week accelerant detection canine handlers course for State and local fire service and law enforcement agencies to assist in the investigation of suspected arsons. Currently, there are approximately 50 ATF-trained accelerant detection canines working throughout the United States in use by State and local agencies. Labrador retrievers are the dogs of choice for the training program. The dogs are procured from guide dog agencies. They are typically 16-18 months old when they enter training. The qualities of this breed that facilitate their effectiveness are a friendly disposition, an instinct for working, and a maintenance-free coat. The dogs are trained by classical conditioning, using a food-reward methodology. A trained and effective canine team can identify and recover valuable, unique evidence, and the evidence can withstand court scrutiny. Actual examples of how trained dogs have helped collect crucial evidence in cases throughout the country are briefly described.