You’ll soon see man’s best friend with Ohio University Police Officers sniffing around for explosives that might be inconspicuously placed in large venues on campus, such as The Convo and Peden Stadium.
Grant funding from the state was approved Tuesday for the Ohio University Police Department to purchase its very own bomb-sniffing dog, officials said.
The dog, of which the breed is yet to be determined, is part of Chief Andrew Powers’ stated goal to provide a secure environment for students during large events.
Earlier this semester, Powers said one of the department’s top priorities was to provide them a secure environment for students during big events, such as football games at Peden and basketball games at The Convo.
In addition to sporting events, dogs are on duty for special guest events, such as the recent visitation by the deputy prime minister of Malaysia.
“We can certainly use bomb-sniffing dogs a lot more in events that we have not used previously if we have our own,” Powers said last week. “If we get a bomb threat in the building, we can deploy our own canine to start checking for that.”
Currently, the department requests explosive detection assistance from the Columbus Fire Department bomb squad, which coordinates with agencies statewide to fill OUPD’s request.
The Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program Board, which allocates state funding for agencies in southeast Ohio, had budgeted the money this summer in response to OUPD’s request for a bomb-sniffing dog.
The board’s budget was approved Tuesday, but Powers said funds have not yet been received and it’s unlikely that the department could purchase a dog this semester.
Ron Stemen, explosive K-9 handler at Ohio State Fire Marshal’s Office, said explosive detection canines can be cross-trained to perform multiple tasks, such as bite work or tracking; however, they are unable to sniff for drugs.
Dogs like Labradors, German Shepherds and Beagles are the common favorites chosen to become bomb-sniffing dogs, because they possess an innate sense and drive to hunt things, he said.
Kent State University’s Police Services recently acquired its first bomb-sniffing dog, Coco, a 2-year-old German shepherd.
Officer Anne Staphr, Coco’s handler, said more university police departments are trying to get K-9 units.
“I think they’re just trying to take everything into consideration,” Staphr said.
@JoshuaLim93
jl951613@ohiou.edu
This story appeared in print under the headline "Upcoming four-legged recruits"
