O'Neill Police Department
Raises Funds For K-9 Unit

"The O'Neill Police Department is happy to announce that between the donations we have received and those amounts that have been pledged, we will reach our goal of $15,000 for implementation of the K9 program. Any additional donations that are collected will go towards sustaining the program and other needs of the O'Neill Police Department. 

Thank you to all individuals, organizations, and businesses who have generously donated to helping us meet our goal. We look forward to further serving you and will continue to update the public on the progress of the K9 program."

When most people think about dogs, they think about the cuddly animals that we like to laugh at and play catch with once in a while - but that isn't the case for police dogs. The number of canine drug searches has steadily increased all across the country and in Nebraska. Dogs have been used in drug searches for over 30 years and have slowly but surely worked their way into airports, theaters, malls, and more. They search luggage, people, and vehicles for the odor of narcotics. While canine drug searches can be used anywhere, most of the cases in Nebraska focus on those used during traffic stops.

Most often, these searches aim to catch those with possession with an intent to deliver drugs, but those who have only enough drugs for personal use can be targeted as well.

The dogs employed in canine drug searches need to be properly trained to detect a particular narcotic. This training can take a long time for the dog to learn. Even more critical, however, are the circumstances in which the dog was used. The police officer cannot allow special circumstances to cause him or her to infringe upon your Fourth Amendment rights. 

Here are some basic terms you may want to know about canine drug searches:

Handler: The police officer trained to work with the dog.

Alert:  The signal that a dog gives to signify the presence of the item for which it was searching.

Hit: When drugs are found during a canine drug search.

Miss: When drugs are not found after a dog signals their presence.

Here is a little further information on a dog's alert: The K9's indication, or alert, is one of the most important aspects of training a search and rescue dog. Law Enforcement uses the term “alert” as the final behavior offered by the dog after a find. ARDA (American Rescue Dog Association) uses the term “indication.” Whichever you use, we are discussing the final trained behavior the dog has been taught, which communicates the location of the target odor/scent.

The Fourth Amendment protects a person's right to be free from a search and seizure that is unreasonable. The use of canine drug searches is a very common violation of this right.

In most cases, canine drug searches are used to conduct searches and find drugs and contraband. The catch is that an officer must have probable cause to search belongings, including a car or a house. Drug dogs are often used to provide that probable cause when there is no other evidence to justify a legal search and seizure. 

If police violate your Fourth Amendment rights with an unlawful drug dog search and seizure, a Nebraska drug lawyer can use that fact alone to suppress the evidence they discovered.

Now, you may be asked to consent to the search without probable cause and most people say yes because they think they have to do so - this is not the case.

It is very important to remember that drug detection isn't limited to the canine, but to the handler and the other team members as well.

Rural law enforcement agencies are increasingly turning to police dogs to help them deter crime.  

While Nebraska law enforcement agencies are not required to report whether or not they have police dogs, the Nebraska State Patrol keeps an unofficial list based on word of mouth, said Sgt. Matt Workman. According to this list, Nebraska has 32 police dogs that are used in rural law enforcement. In addition, the Nebraska State Patrol has 11 dogs it uses across the state. 

Rural law enforcement turn to police dogs for crime deterrence

The purpose of a police dog is to deter crime. There are several skills dogs can be trained on, however, drug detection and apprehension are the most sought out by Nebraska law enforcement, according to Santiago Velasquez, the Columbus Police Department's dog handler. Dogs can be trained in both drug detection and apprehension (known as dual purpose dogs) or simply just in drug detection (single purpose).

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