Although funds for the Ohio University Police Department’s explosive-detection dog have been approved, officials are still uncertain when the new four-legged recruit will make its way to large-scale events.
OU Police Chief Andrew Powers said that before the canine arrives, the department must identify a proper handler, obtain its equipment and schedule training.
Grant funding from the state was approved on Nov. 19 for OUPD to purchase its very own bomb-sniffing dog.
Powers added that he hopes to have the canine early next year, but nothing is for certain.
“In all honesty, I would be surprised if the dog is trained and ready to go by the end of the school year,” he said.
After a police dog is purchased, it goes through two months of extensive training to identify explosives, said Kari Lindberg, canine handler at the Columbus Fire Department Bomb Squad.
After the initial training, the dog and its handler undergo another training program for 10 weeks.
“You’re with your working dog probably more than you’re with your boyfriend or girlfriend.” Lindberg said. “You spend more time with the dog than anybody else.”
Lindberg added that the dogs not only serve as a tool for sniffing explosives but also as a deterrent to prevent people from committing crimes.
“We feel that if people see us out keeping an eye on things, it would be harder for someone to do something,” she said. “That’s one of the big things we do, to have a presence at big events.”
Ron Stemen, explosive K-9 handler at the Ohio State Fire Marshal’s Office, said
having police dogs around college campuses ensures a higher level of safety because of the large amounts of people.
“My dog has been to every one of the (OU) home football games for the past two years,” Stemen said. “And that is to assure that the venue is safe.”
Even though OUPD will be getting its own explosive-detection dog, Powers said he will continue to request assistance from different agencies in the state for big event games.
jl951613@ohiou.edu
@JoshuaLim93
