Police Dog Drug Training Policy Approved

By Andrew Gorosko

The Police Commission has approved a policy and set of procedures concerning the storage and handling of illegal drugs, which will be used to train the town’s new police dog.

Baro (pronounced barrow), a German shepherd, was acquired by the police department last fall. The dog will undergo training in the coming months for use as a police dog. The police department has not had a police dog for more than 20 years.

Andrew “Andy” Stinson, a patrol officer who started work at the police department in July 2001, is Baro’s handler, supervising the black, white, and tan canine’s activities while on duty.

Besides regular duty on the police evening shift, the Stinson/Baro team will be on call in the event that a police dog’s services are needed on the day shift or the overnight shift.

Baro, who is 20 months old, received his initial training in the Czech Republic, receiving police dog command training in the German language.

One of the major duties handled by Baro will be the detection of various types of illegal drugs. The dog will be trained to detect the odors of marijuana, heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, and methamphetamines, as these drugs are the ones most commonly abused within Newtown, according to the Police Commission.

Upon their acquisition for training purposes, all drugs will be weighed and will be double-packaged to assure there is no spillage. The drugs will be kept in locked and secured combination-lock safes that meet federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) standards. The drugs will be kept within ammunition containers in the safes.

The Police Commission policy provides an elaborate set of rules for handling the drugs for training purposes.

Due to the potential for cross-contamination of the drugs and the expectation that the drugs will lose their potency across time, the drugs will be replaced on an annual basis, or as often as needed, from supplies kept by the state’s Drug Control Division.

The policy includes a set of forms that police will use when taking a monthly inventory of drugs, when receiving shipments of drugs, and when disposing of drugs.

Besides drug investigations, the dog’s prime tasks will involve using his keen sense of smell to help find missing persons and help locate fleeing suspects.

Baro will attend the police department’s public presentations. Officer Stinson is a member of the police department’s four-member crime prevention unit.

A police patrol car is specially outfitted for police dog use. The rear seat is removed to provide the dog with ample room while in transit. The car is equipped with a remotely controlled rear door, which will allow Officer Stinson to open the door from a distance to let the dog out of the vehicle in the event that the dog is needed quickly.

The police car carrying the dog has temperature monitors and ventilation equipment installed to keep conditions comfortable for the canine.

 Police purchased the dog with drug asset forfeiture funds. Drug dealers’ assets that are seized by police in arrests provide a source of funds for police purchases related to drug enforcement.