K-9 Handlers Search/Trailing Experiences
This is a place where K-9 teams/handlers can post information on actual searches and training exercises in which they have participated. Hopefully the dialog/comments in this area will be of interest and educational value to fellow Bloodhound/K-9 handlers, law enforcement/emergency personnel and the general public.
posted by Lindy @ 5:16 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Trail Information for MMWD
Handler’s name: Ron Lindblom
Organization: Mid-Michigan Working Dogs
Hound(s): Kali
Date: 3/6/05
Time: 17:00:00
Called By: MMWD
Weather: Inside Building
Location: DeVos Place Convention Center – Grand Rapids, MI
Type of Search: Indoor contaminated Trail
Scent Article: Gauze Pad that had been laid on subject's article of clothing
Details:
MMWD had a booth at the West Michigan Home and Garden Show with 40,000 people attending the show over a 4 day period, Thursday through Sunday. We wanted to test a K-9 Team on a 48 hour old trail with major human contamination, along with animal, vehicle and food contamination. MMWD had the daughter of one of the convention center workers (Samantha Sabin) arrive on Friday 2/4/05 at 5:20 PM and leave an article of clothing which we sealed in a plastic bag. We later put a gauze pad in the bag to absorb the scent off the article of clothing. Samantha then left our booth and walked through the entire DeVos Place Convention Center, by all the exhibitors and people viewing the exhibits…a huge building. She ended up at the loading docks where she exited the building.
On Sunday afternoon at 5 PM (two days later and after about 30,000 people had walked over her trail and the convention center personnel had vacuumed, etc each night) the daughter came back and entered through the loading docks to be in position for Team Kali to run the previous trail she had laid. Ron Lindblom scented Kali at 5 PM in the isle by the MMWD booth off the gauze pad that had been placed in the plastic bag containing Samantha’s article of clothing. Kali immediately began working the trail with a throng of people following. We felt she would be able to do this even with all the contamination on the trail but we wanted to test a dog team. This was the most contamination this team had ever had to work through. Kali went down the isle, took a turn, down another isle, out in the main entry way, across the marble floor, into one of the doors to the main exhibit area, down the isle, took a right turn down another isle, then a left and down that isle right past the beef jerky booth that had fresh beef jerky that people had been feeding Kali at the booth all weekend. She never paid any attention to it nor the people in the isles she was moving through who where bending down and saying things like, “look at the nice puppy – can I pet her?, etc.” They were told, “no, the dog is working,” and she continued and took a right turn down by the presentation areas where birds of prey had been exhibited and then a left over to one of many doors leading to the loading dock area. She did a jump up ID on the door indicating that is where the trail went. We opened the door and she went into the loading dock area and located and did a gentle jump up ID (5:08 PM) on the daughter who had laid the trail 2 days previous.
The handler gave her a big hug and a few liver treats. Handler; “She did it and I later found that she never missed a turn After she had entered the main exhibit area following the trail, she went back to some of the people who were following us and sniffed them briefly to eliminate them as the trail layer. Then she commited again to the direction of the trail. On some of the corners she gave me the negative signal on 3 directions and then took the fourth direction, just perfect and doing exactly what she should have done.”
Final note: The people who observed this could not believe what they just had seen. What a trip for handler and K-9 Kali.
Flanker: Sheila Eldridge
Trail Runner: Samantha Sabin
Witness: Laura Sabin (Samantha’s mother)
Witness: Jayne Lindblom
Witness: Ronda Kaufman
Virginia Bloodhound Search and Rescue Association Case Summaries
John Lavinder, Franklin Co. Sheriff’s Office (1 Case)
Approx. 3hrs. after an Armed Robbery, Dellie was scented off of a gauze pad (which had been placed on the counter top that the suspect had leaned on). Dellie was started at the front door. She worked a trail through the parking lot, to another parking lot (fast food restaurant), circled this lot and indicated no more trail. Distance approx. ¼ mile
Patrick Sheridan, Louisa Co. Sheriff’s Office (6 Cases November 17 thru February 8)
Approx. 2hrs. after a B&E, Annie was scented off of a screen (place of entry). Annie started working around the house, through the yard, through a field (locating footprints that matched ones at the crime scene), to a roadway. Witnesses advised that they observed a vehicle at this location. Distance approx. 2 miles.
Terri and Jim Heck, Summit SAR (6 Cases November 13 thru January 21)
Approx. 2 ½hrs. after a bailout Boone was scented off of a gauze pad (which had been place on the passenger seat) at the PLS. Boone started working a trail through the yards, across a road, down an embankment, along RR tracks, to a foundry, around the foundry, out the main gate to roadway. Team was stopped at this point. The subject was apprehended further along this roadway.Distance approx. ¾ of a mile.
Buck Garner, Louisa Co. Sheriff’s Office (31 Cases)
Approx. 13hrs. after a homicide, Chess was utilized in three different ways, First, to try and determine where the victim had come from. Buck took Chess some distance from where some of the victims property had been located and scented Chess off of a backpack to try and determine the route taken by the victim prior to the homicide. Chess trailed from one location past where the victim’s property had been located to where the victim was located. Second, Chess was scented off of a bullet casing (at the location the bullet casings where located – two different calibers where located and bagged separately). Chess trailed along roadways, around an apartment complex, along the roadway to where Chess indicated end of trail. Third, Chess was taken back to the location where the casings were located and scented off one of the casings of the other caliber. Chess started working a trail along the roadway, through a field, through a wooded area, around the same area at an apartment complex, along the roadway till Chess again indicated end of trail. Still under investigation.
Patti and Al Means, Red Rose K-9 SAR (13 Cases)
From the location of a vehicle abandon after a Bank Robbery, Beau was scented off of a gauze pad (from passenger seat). Beau started working going through an apartment, a park, a subdivision, across an intersection to a convenience store, showed strong interest in the phone and then indicated end of trail. Shooter was scented off of the driver’s seat and worked a trail similar to the one that Beau ran. This case is still under investigation.
Ricardo’s Adventures Continue.
Ricardo is an attendee of the VBSAR yearly seminar and is a police officer/Bloodhound handler from Brazil. This is the English interpretation from a Brazilian new article. In the title from the newspaper from January 11th, 2005 called “ Verdade” that means “Truth” in English says:
“ Robber was found by the Militar Police’s hound dog in the dirt field”
Militar Police’s Hound Dog, helps to arrest car robbers.
Two men were arrested after robbed a Fiat Uno (car) in Jardim Macedo’s district, in Ribeirão Preto city. A Police car saw the suspects’ vehicle, and started to follow them until the road, near to Conquista Farm. When the robbers felt the police, they left the car and runnaway into a sugar cane plantation near there. With the scape, others police’s cars were called to help, and they surround the sugar caneplantation area.
Using some objects left by the robbers inside the car, the police officer from the K9 police unit took the scent using a sterilized gauze and gave it to Fanton. This process to obtain the scent, is the right one said the police captain Pegoraro.
In a few minutes, Fanton, that is one of the most efficient dogs from the police kennel, found the suspects “with successful, more one time, thanks to his ability, we could find and arrest easier the suspects inside the sugar cane plantation. An animal as this one, is extremely valuable”, said the captain.
With the suspects were found two keys used to open and start the stolen car. They were sent to the Police district, and they have been identified as FLORISVALDO GONÇALVES de OLIVEIRA, 44 y.o., that had been charged before by theft, robbery and conceal, and TIAGO de OLIVEIRA, 24 y.o., with charges of robbery and carry a gun without license., both live in Sertãozinho (city). They were sent to the jail.
Post a Comment
<< Home