K-9 units get vital training

By ASHLEY LUTHERN

Training sessions are set twice a month for local K-9 units.

CANFIELD — In a deserted barn, a member of the Canfield City Police Department searches for narcotics.

Running along the perimeter of the walls with his head down, he finds what he’s looking for and paws at the source of the drug odor that he’s detected.

His partner, Patrolman Mike Sroka, confirms his success by giving him a toy and a pat on the back.

It’s all part of a day’s training for the department’s four-legged K-9 officer, Zach.

Twice a month, K-9 units throughout Mahoning County undergo joint training. Beaver Township’s K-9, Kaz, was with Zach at the Canfield Fairgrounds on Tuesday morning as their police handlers led them through exercises in tracking, drug sniffing and apprehending suspects.

“We check the dogs at these trainings and make sure that they’re doing the things that they are supposed to do, like sniffing low and high while searching for drugs,” said Lt. Dan Lewis of the Beaver department.

The dogs are trained to detect four odors: marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and all the derivatives of those substances. Many times, the K-9 officers will be dispatched to assist another officer with a traffic stop.

“For a dog to sniff around the car, a search warrant isn’t required,” Lewis said. “If the dog indicates, meaning giving us a signal that he’s detected a drug odor, that gives police probable cause to search the vehicle.”

In Canfield, Zach is called out about 10 times a month and rides with Sroka in the police cruiser when he makes his rounds.

Recently, Zach assisted Canfield and the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Department with tracking after a home invasion in Canfield Township. Although the suspects were not caught, Sroka said Zach followed the scent for a good distance, and training sessions keep him ready for such tasks.

“Dog tracking is not an exact science, but Zach can smell suspects,” he said. “It’s not like criminals suddenly get super stinky after they commit a crime, but they do release normal human odors that Zach can follow.”

The second step of tracking a suspect is apprehension, another skill honed at the training sessions.

Sroka clambered into a heavy “bite suit,” which includes padded pants and jacket, to protect himself from dog bites during the apprehension drills.

Kneeling with Kaz, Lewis directed the dog’s attention to Sroka, who was standing in a grassy area, waving his arms. After yelling two warnings, Lewis released Kaz and the dog raced to Sroka, jumped up on his hind legs and bit him on the shoulder.

“That’s a direct send drill where the dog runs and does not stop,” Lewis said. “We absolutely do not train the dogs to bite a person’s face or groin, but instead train them to bite in the back or the shoulder. That’s not going to kill anyone.”

These bimonthly training sessions are not tests, but the K-9 units are required to pass an Ohio certification every two years.

aluthern@vindy.com