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| K-9 Units In Corrections |
| By Keith Martin, Assistant Editor |
| Published: 05/28/2001 |
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From cell extractions to escape recovery, the addition of K-9s to a correctional facility's available tools is a valuable one. Through intense training for both the dogs and their handlers, a K-9 unit is able to add an additional level of officer support and facility control. In fact, just seeing these dogs is often enough to impact an inmate's behavior. 'The dog team is like a 'force multiplier,'' says Captain Michael Ocker, Commander of the K-9 Unit for the Maryland Division of Corrections. 'They can clear a number of inmates quickly. When there is an incident, the first call is to the K-9 unit and when that dog shows up, it is like the cavalry has arrived. They know that [the presence of the dog] will move other inmates away from the disturbance.' Maryland's K-9 unit is comprised of 31 handlers and 56 dogs, with both patrol and detector dogs. Patrol dogs work with the tactical team as another means of non-lethal use of force, with the ability to move a large number of inmates or aid in a rescue situation. According to Ocker, the K-9 dogs act as a physical deterrent, whether working alone with a handler or with the tactical team. 'A lot of inmates are used to street fighting and have been hit or beat in one form or another, so there is no fear there,' he says. 'With the K-9s and other non-lethal munitions, like OC and rubber projectiles, it is something unknown to them and not everyone is willing to take the steps to find out what they're about.' Besides being another non-lethal option for use by the tactical team, Ocker notes that another tactical advantage of the dogs is that it is the only tool that once committed to use, can be recalled. They can send the dog in or command them to apprehend an inmate and at any point that dog can be physically or verbally pulled back. Also, the dogs can be used after a chemical agent, like OC, has been used, as it does not affect them. K-9s As Drug Deterrents Maryland and other states are largely using K-9 units to sniff out narcotics in their facilities. Much like their appearance with tactical teams, just knowing that a facility has detector dogs at its disposal is sometimes enough for inmates to change their behavior, according to Ocker. 'When you have dogs on-site, you'll be able to cut out persons that are on the borderline [of bringing in narcotics],' he says. 'They might try to get drugs in, but [the presence of the dogs] makes it not worth it because they will get caught. Still, you will always have a few that despite the tactics used, will try to [get drugs past] you.' By randomly checking inmates, visitors and even staff, Maryland has taken an aggressive stance on keeping narcotics out of their facilities. Ocker says that they are always looking at urinalysis tests to target trouble spots and it seems to be the same inmates who have tried to traffic drugs that will try again. The focus is to prevent drugs from entering the prison before the dogs have an opportunity to find them. 'My goal is to have drug-free prisons and [K-9 units] are effective in doing that,' says William Sondervan, Commissioner of the Maryland DOC. 'Just like in society, drugs cause violence [in correctional facilities], so our K-9s help keep drugs out.' Ocker says statistics can show the difference that a well-run K-9 unit can have on keeping narcotics out of a facility. Before the reorganization of the unit in 1999, the Jessup facility showed a positive urinalysis for drugs in 16 percent of its population. Since then, that number has averaged around three percent. Similar to Maryland, the state of Kansas has also used K-9s to prevent the flow of narcotics into their facilities. The Department of Corrections has utilized dogs since 1978, first with bloodhounds for trailing and cadaver work and then adding dogs for drug detection in the early 1990s. 'When we walk into a cell house with the dogs, all you hear is flushing and inmates yelling 'dogs,'' says Sgt. Jeff Carroll, Officer-In-Charge of training and the kennels at the Lansing Correctional Facility. 'Inmates often approach me and thank me for bringing the dogs [into their facility]. They don't do drugs and know the trouble that comes with them and want to steer clear of that.' Carroll adds that word of mouth of the bloodhound's skills also makes its way through the cellblocks. Inmates with trustee status often assist in running tracking exercises with the dogs and see how exact they can follow a trail. 'The bloodhounds are the greatest deterrent for escape that we have, other than the walls, sensors and officers,' says Carroll, who has been handling and training canines since 1984, when he worked with dogs in the U.S. Army. As for those who do not have a K-9 unit and are thinking of investing the manpower and funds, Carroll says the rewards can be counted various ways. 'It may cost a little money, but the benefits are outrageous, in terms of morale, as a deterrent and political cooperation with the community,' he says. 'When the community sees you as a unit doing everything in your power to control your unit, they feel safer, your people do and so do the inmates.' Getting Everyone On the Same Page Ocker credits the reorganization of Maryland's K-9 unit by Commissioner Sondervan two years ago as one of the reasons for their success. Prior to the move, each institution had a dog assigned to it and was managing their K-9 program differently. Instead, one unit controls the employment and training of staff and dogs, and is in control of when the dogs are deployed. 'Commissioner Sondervan got in and got it rolling even when administrators and budget people said it was not a good idea, but he stuck with it,' says Ocker, who has worked with the state's K-9s for 14 years. Some tactical team members were also a little reluctant at first with the K-9s, admits Ocker. It took a lot of education on the part of those in the unit to show what these dogs could do and ease some officers' fears in working with the dogs. By attending training with the teams, the unit was able to give them a first-hand look at the K-9s' skills. '[The K-9s] were an asset they knew was out there, but they really didn't know the capability,' he says. 'Through training with them, they became more aware that these dogs were capable of advanced tasks.' As further proof of their mastery of advanced skills, the Unit was named National Champions of the U.S. Police K-9 Association last year for their performance in detection competition, a feat not lost on the state's commissioner. 'It says to all of us [in the division] that we have great correctional employees and given the proper resources, they can be as good or better than anybody in the criminal justice business,' says Sondervan. Resources Sgt. Jeff Carroll, Officer-In-Charge, Lansing Correctional Facility K-9 Unit, (913) 727-3235 For more information on the Lansing (KS) Correctional Facility's K-9 Unit, go to their website. Capt. Michael Ocker, Commander, K-9 Unit, Maryland Division of Corrections, (301) 797-2599 |
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