K9 Program: Effective Perception of Law Enforcement

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Executive Summary

It can be stated that the need of police has a long history and the society cannot function without the active participation of a police department to maintain law and help citizen under any circumstances and down the history police officers had been performing impressively with some stray incidents and exceptions. However, the main hypothesis of the research is that the police canine usage in a positive and effective perception of law enforcement with the K9 program. Canines are one of the tools used by police departments which are gaining popularity for use in the measures and approaches to deal with crime. Canine units find their use in narcotics exposure, bomb and arson detection, tracking assignments and also as patrol dogs. The K9 unit of the Wilmington Police Department serves as a dog squad in which there are five officers who function as handlers of the police dogs in addition to three supervising officials. The K9 unit is lead by a designated Sergeant, with a Lieutenant and lastly a Captain following the Sergeant in the unit hierarchy.

In the evaluation of the K9 program the performance of the various program initiatives are assessed. Key elements of impacts of the program are identified and the affects these key elements of impacts are analyzed. The resources made available to the program are looked at and the effectiveness of these resources is studied. The entire process of the program is reviewed and the outcomes of the program initiatives are scrutinized.

The entire program is appraised meticulously and the key areas of strengths and weaknesses are identified.

Preface

The definition of crime was greatly expanded by the modern day criminologists. According to their point of view crime is a combination of surviving sense and environmental force. But at the same note they also point out that there is a certain nature of equal approach towards crime devoid of all instincts and environment. This behavioral pattern of the human nature makes the subject of criminal justice an interesting concept to follow. However, it could thus be mentioned that as there is a certain amount of highest common features among the nature of the human kind towards crime it would well be logical to standardize the process of judicial system and thus making the system more clear and approachable. At the same time a sameness of the judicial process would enable the population to achieve justice with greater efficiency and at a faster pace. Police comes into the situation at this point as a tool of maintaining and enforcing the judicial system. Thus the focal point of the research was to evaluate the topic of Public perception on police officer canine usage and the use of program and back the findings with relevant statistical data and research procedures.

This evaluation may be of some interest to the police department as well as the K9 division itself. The primary aim of the evaluation design of the evaluation was to determine the quality of the program and find out what is its usefulness in the community as a whole. The program has its own functions and implementation techniques, evaluation of which is not the primary focus of this evaluation. Instead, the evaluation focuses more on the utility of the program.

The evaluation is a mixture of formative and summative evaluation. However, the formative evaluation takes precedence over the summative approach. It highlights and points out the performance standards, strengths and weaknesses of the program and in addition draws attention to the implementation issues concerning the program. Thus, this evaluation can be utilized by the K9 division and its authorities to identify understand and act upon the aspects which need some attention in order to better the program working and in turn enhance the effectiveness of its outcomes.

The Police Department Chief, The WPD K9 division head, local civil authorities and the residents of the community form the primary audiences of this evaluation. In addition, any institute, researcher or student requiring the evaluation for further research may also be an audience of this evaluation.

The evaluation also aims at determining the merit of the program in absolute terms. The effectiveness of the program in relation to the effects and impacts it has on the various impacts such as the department staff, the victims of crime, disasters and accidents, local residents and business owners, the criminal justice system and overall the community at large. How well does the performance of the program initiatives fare is an issue which the evaluation looks at closely. In addition, the evaluation of the program could be beneficial to the local civil authorities and also the common populace of the community. (Bidner, 2007)

Methodology

In this evaluation a qualitative non-participant case study approach was adopted to carry out the research. The main objective of the evaluation needed to analyze the effectiveness of the K9 program in view of its utility towards the community at large. A detailed investigation of a particular implementation of the program provides significant insight into the subject. Thus, the case study approach was chosen as the most appropriate method of evaluation. A non-participatory case study was selected so as to eradicate all biasness which might be introduced in case of a participant case study approach.

The case studied was the Wilmington Police Department’s K9 unit program. To evaluate this case the set performance standards laid down by the department as well as those by certification authorities were used as rubrics. The standards make sure that police dog teams in the program are adequately trained so as to save the lives and possessions of the residents of the community from harm. They provide a framework by means of which all trained police dogs must uphold the proper execution of their duties. They facilitate the process of making sure that the handlers in the program have sufficient awareness about the laws concerning the exploitation of canines. The standards also define explicitly that cruel use of partially unqualified police dogs within law enforcement organizations is strictly prohibited and that periodic re-certification on a timely basis must be attained in order to maintain the integrity and credibility of police dog teams.

However, addressing the causation issue is a tricky challenge in the case study approach. Thus, carefully designed surveys, interviews with field experts and department supervisors, etc. were carried out in order to infer the causation. In addition, help of department documents and the local media was also taken.

Surveys were used to test the general awareness about the program in the community. It was designed in such a way that revealed how well the community understood the effects of the program on them. Field experts were consulted to gain a general idea about the performance standards which are likely to bring out some significant outcomes. Department supervisors were interviewed in order to find out how the program affected the staff of the K9 division along with members of other division within the department.

The basic advantages of qualitative measures are multifold. Firstly, it presents a completely realistic approach that the statistical analysis and numerical data used in research based on quantitative research cannot provide. Another advantage of qualitative measures is that it is more flexible in nature in terms of collected information interpretation, subsequent analysis and data collection. It also presents a holistic point of view of the investigation. Furthermore this approach of research allows the subjects to be comfortable thus be more accurate as research is carried on in accordance to the subject’s own terms.

Background & Context

Canines are one of the tools used by police departments which are gaining popularity for use in the measures and approaches to deal with crime. Canine units find their use in narcotics exposure, bomb and arson detection, tracking assignments and also as patrol dogs. Dogs of the K9 unit may be trained as single or dual function dogs. There are numerous reasons why maintenance of a K9 unit within a police department, irrespective of its size, is logical. The Police K9 program is blazing a trail and bringing in new ideas concerning the utilization of a dog’s senses can be efficient in law enforcement. There is an ongoing effort to utilize the K9 units in the policing profession in a way such that each of the police function becomes safer by means of sound strategic training, and to integrate K9 operations in order to build up police dog training and exploitation ethics and norms.

The Wilmington Police Department’s K9 Unit was launched in 1984 subsequent to the recruitment of Bruce Hickman as a police officer. Bruce’s experience in the field of K9 operations and as a handler was used for the formation of the unit. The Wilmington Police Department acknowledged the dog’s advanced capability to identify drugs and track suspects. The WPD K9 Unit is one of the most important divisions in the department. It is utilized to facilitate smooth operations of other divisions such as patrolling, vice, Criminal Investigations Division, and numerous other special operations sections working under the police department. There are various issues such as training, handling and budgetary constraints which influence the performance of the K9 division. Ethical and Standardized deployment issues are also reviewed by the WPD to ensure smooth running of the division. (MacKenzie, 2006)

In view of the above mentioned aspects the importance of evaluation of the WPD’s K9 program is immense. The various concerns relating to effectiveness of the program is the most important driving factor behind this evaluation process.

Description and Definitions

The K9 unit of the Wilmington Police Department serves as a dog squad in which there are five officers who function as handlers of the police dogs in addition to three supervising officials. The K9 unit is lead by a designated Sergeant, with a Lieutenant and lastly a Captain following the Sergeant in the unit hierarchy. The five handling officers are on duty on a regular basis from 4:00 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. and take turns in on-call duty periods to incorporate all additional hours. The police dogs are imported from Europe and trained locally by certified trainers. The Police K9 units are groomed to develop skills required to carry out a range of functions. They specialize in narcotics recognition, tracking suspicious individuals and non-suspects like victims of disasters, individuals who get lost, Alzheimer affected, missing individuals, and carrying out search operations involving objects that are possibly have some evidential worth, and in buildings and open places for suspects.

The following definitions may be useful in understanding the program:

Evaluation – is an organized method for collecting, examining and drawing on information to address the primary questions about projects, policies and programs.
Evaluand – is the subject of Evaluation.
Impactees – are the stakeholders who undergo a loss of value as a result of the project being carried out despite the consequences of whether or not it achieves its target outcomes.
Outcome- is a circumlocutory result caused by a certain process or means that takes the form of some tangible alteration in the circumstances of the world.
Patrol dog – a service dog chosen by designated trainers and deemed to be competent by accepted standards to execute basic patrolling tasks. The operations involving detection of property and tracking are errands run by a patrol dog.
Detector dog – a service dog chosen by designated trainers and deemed to be competent by accepted standards to execute search operations for concealed materials such as drugs and explosives.
Dual purpose dog – a service dog chosen by designated trainers and deemed to be competent by accepted standards to carry out two distinct roles. Conventionally, these jobs include general patrolling activities and an additional definite form of detection;
Certified – A K9 team complying with the performance standards of the police units or law enforcement organizations.

Consumers

In order to effectively evaluate a program it is significantly important to identify the consumers of the program. It is required that the groups, individuals, organizations are other impacted sections of the community are identified and categorized. In this section we identify the Primary Consumers and the Downstream Impactees and state how this program is relevant to them. The victims of crime or perhaps disasters and accidents, missing or lost individuals, Business Owners, Residents of the localities, Police Officers, Criminal Justice system, specifically district attorneys/prosecutors, Judges in the local or higher courts and the entire community under the jurisdiction of the Wilmington Police Department may be broadly identified as the sections of the community which is in someway or the other effected, impacted or influenced by the program.

Victims, Business owners and Residents who come under the jurisdiction of the Wilmington Police Department along with the officers of the department themselves can be categorized as the primary consumers of the K9 program.

Program impact on the community

Due to the superior olfactory senses the dogs possess, they have excellent tracking capabilities. Thus K9 units are deployed to track victims of crimes, people who get lost and wander around, missing individuals and in other such cases. Thus timely findings of these individuals can be a difference between their life and death and thus can directly benefit from the outcomes of the program. The K9 units are also used for regular patrolling in the area under the jurisdiction of the local police department. Thus a sense of safety and security is instilled within the residents and the business owners in the region. In addition, the unit also helps various other special operation divisions of the department and facilitates smooth running of the operations. The downstream impactees of the program may be identified as the Criminal Justice System including law officials and Judges who are greatly benefited due to the substantial evidence the unit helps to unearth. Victim’s families and the society as a whole too may be considered as downstream impactees.

Resources

In this section the resource consideration issues are identified and analyzed. It is important to address this issue as resource availability, allocation and utilizations have a significant impact on the outcome of the program. Thus considering the resource constraints becomes imperative due to the significance it bears on the entire approach towards implementation of the program as well as the results it provides.

Budget Constraints are the main issues with the K9 division as with any other program. The unit requires a substantial startup and maintenance cost. The primary asset for the K9 division is recruiting good dogs. Unfortunately, good dogs come for a price. Thus the selection of a good breed and source selection is of utmost importance. Dog vendor contracts form a significant part of the resource pool of the unit. Contracted vendors import proper breed of dogs and provide warranty for the dog’s performance. Training facility, equipments and above all the trainers are key resources for the division. After buying a dog it must be properly trained in order to provide proper service to the department. Thus training amenities like leashes, tracking leads, bite sleeves and other training equipment, an outside kennel for the handler’s abode along with food are the resources which the program has to provide for a startup or replacement unit.

Perhaps Handlers are the most important resource which the units possess. Providing training to the handlers is essential as they need to develop skills required to sensitively deal with the dogs. Handlers need to build or form a special bond with their dogs and the strength of this bond definitely influences the performance of the dog. The five handlers need to be compensated well for the care and maintenance of the assigned dog in addition to their on-job duties.

In addition, other essential resources for the K-9 unit comprises of a automobile unit with a kennel insert, a temperature display instrument to ensure that the dog does not overheat, a door fastening to release the dog properly. An in-house Research and Development and veterinary medical facilities are resources which the program does not accommodate and the division relies on outside expertise for such services.

Each resource assigned to the program has to be carefully analyzed and the economic feasibility has to be evaluated. However, long-term investment and short term profitability tradeoffs are considered significantly to ensure maximum cost effectiveness of the program. A K9 unit startup cost can go up to $118,650 for the first year. In addition, for a replacement unit costs approximately $15,000 which is a vendor trained canine and costs of basic training are cut down to the minimum. Donated dogs are not used for the program as the department feels maintenance costs go high and the tax payer’s money is not utilized properly. Thus, only proper breed and carefully trained canines are recruited. Resources provided are bare essentialities and the budgeting initiatives are regularly appraised. The annual budget for the maintenance of the program is set at approximately $15,000 in addition to introductory budgets varying from $115,000 to $200,000. (Bidner, 2007) For detailed specific budgetary issues the financial division may be contacted in order to obtain document concerning the program related economics. These budgets are primarily based upon the annual funding provided to the Wilmington Police Department by the state. Subsequently, the Department’s financial division is responsible to draft out an annual budget for the program. Thus in a sense the taxpayer’s money funds the program.

Values

The ‘values’ section needs to describe how to judge whether the program aspect are good or bad. There are specific, explicitly laid down performance standards in the program which help the evaluation of the efficacy of the program outputs. The following paragraphs describe the aspects which need to be considered while evaluating the implementation and the outcome of the program.

For patrolling tasks the dogs must be trained to be obedient in terms of responding positively to the handler’s commands. They must remain calm and composed when subjected to excitement provoking circumstances. They should neither be fearful nor should they act aggressively under such situations. Their agility needs to be tested and enhanced if required during training sessions. The apprehension levels of the dog must be evaluated and the dog must be trained to protect the handler in case of an assault on the vehicle. The dogs should be competently trained to search open areas effectively.

In addition, it must also be competent enough to effectively carry out a proper search in buildings and other structures. The dog’s olfactory senses should be tested and exercised by means of tracking exercises whereby the dogs can proficiently trail a suspect. Searching exercises involving evidential items and objects should also be tested. Dogs need to be trained on drug and narcotics detection and its capabilities of detecting the same need to be determined. The dogs which are trained for explosive detection must be trained in detecting Plastic explosives, Water gel, Smokeless powder, Black powder, Sodium chlorate, Potassium chlorate, Commercial dynamite, Military dynamite, Trinitrotoluene, Detonating cord. Tests must be carried out to evaluate their efficiency in detecting the above mentioned substances. (Bidner, 2007)

Further, handling efficiency, i.e., the handler’s competence of handling the dog must be reviewed periodically. The medical health and extent of ethical treatment of the dogs must also be checked in order to properly evaluate the program.

In the following few sections the program aspects are evaluated explicitly. Actual implementation of the program in the considered cases is identified. Subsequently, the outcome and the impacts of the program are evaluated and analyzed.

Process Evaluation

In this section we analyze the actual implementation of the program in the case of the Wilmington Police Department’s K9 Division. In order to carry out the process evaluation experts in the field and supervisors of the K9 unit needed to be consulted. Further, documents relating to performance standards, local statistics and tactical goals and objectives of the Wilmington Police Department needed to be referred. The proficiency of the experts in the field was utilized to gain information on the analysis of the set performance standards and working of the division. This information provides key insight into the extent to which the program outputs were acceptable. Supervisors were consulted for receiving comments on the evaluation of unit officers’ and program’s levels of efficiency and extent of completion of all the certifications.

The K9 program has been developed for the strengthening of the society. The designed process has been quite fruitful in terms of the framework it provides. The training standards and norms discussed in the values section are complied with effectively. The structural design of the process has been crafted specifically keeping the needs of the local community in mind. The program has been designed in a manner which is meets the terms and conditions of the Wilmington Police Department’s internal policies. The process demonstrates conformity to the 4^th Amendment’s arrest, search and seizure norms laid down by the US Supreme Court and the North Carolina general statutes. All certification issues are handled in an efficient manner with all standards being met. Ethical issues are taken care of ensuring that treatment of K9’s, officers and citizens of the community is as per ethical standards. (MacKenzie, 2006)

Outcome Evaluation

Rubrics

These are the 3 main criteria mentioned in the logical model.

A logical model is presented below for better understanding of the program.

Activities	Outputs	Outcomes	Goal
Initial K9 drug detection training	More success in drug detection operations	Increased arrests in narcotics cases	Reduce availability of drugs in the area
Job classification	Facilitative role in efficient performance of Special Operations Department	Increased recovery of property/evidence/suspect and Better success rate in tracking operations involving suspects/evidence	Decrease crime rate and efficiently recover evidential objects in order to bring justice
Monthly K9 training	Increased performance reliability	Better on the job performance	Increase safety and effectiveness of the police officers

In this section we evaluate the outcomes of the program based on three criteria identified in the aforementioned logic model. In the case of the initial drug training provided to the dogs a notable degree of success has been achieved. The implementation of the program has been consistent with the objectives and has met and perhaps exceeded standards in this area. The dogs have been properly trained and all certification requirements are met in the detection and identification of narcotics. However, detection of pseudo narcotics does not form a part of this certification. The implementation of this training in practical cases has been successful as indicated by the Wilmington Police Department’s database which reveals increased number of arrests in narcotics cases due to the K9 unit. Job classification has also been a major success in the division. Increased tracking capabilities of specialized dogs has led to unearthing of evidential objects, successful suspect tracking operations and many other cases in which the various divisions within the police department have been directly benefited. Finally the monthly training of the K9 units have also proven to be beneficial both to the dogs as well as their trainers and the positive impact of this has been felt by the community down the line as indicated by survey results.

Cost-Effectiveness

K9 unit deployment may be considered as an art in some parts and a science in other parts. Carefully chalking out costs associated with the program is an integral part of the analysis before implementing the program and allotting resources and amenities optimally is the responsibility of the program supervisors and the head of the division.

Starting up and maintaining a K9 division has a considerable amount of costs associated with it and successful implementation of the program requires a long term investment. The program is funded by the Wilmington Police Department which in turn receives grants from the state and federal government. That means like any other public law enforcement agency, the department runs on the taxpayers money. Thus financial accountability is a major issue which the department as well as the program staff has to take into account.

Considerable amount of thought goes into the process of resources allocation or making the amenities available to the program. When contrasted with the “A Little More” notion we observe that the cost-effectiveness of this program demonstrates considerable significance. With the tight budget with which the program operates the results may be deemed to be quite satisfactory. However, with a little more financial aid the implementation process and in turn the outcomes could be enhanced which would augment the cost-effectiveness of the program manifold. (Bidner, 2007)

The payback received from the K9 Squad’s operations, arrests, and captures by far prevail over the operational costs associated with the unit. The K9 Squad continues to aid the arresting of criminals, search for individuals who get lost, help other divisions of the department, and over and above serve the public in whatever way they can. On the whole the competence of the entire police department is enhanced by the cost effectiveness of the K9 Division.

Exportability

The program under evaluation, i.e., the K9 program of the Wilmington Police Department exhibits an excellent design in terms of budgetary application. Not having access to an extensive budget, the program is designed in such a manner such that there is optimal utilization of the resources available are comprehensive and efficient utilization of the funds available. Such a program design can be used by other agencies and they can model their K9 division budgets on the WPD’s K9 program in order to overcome budget related constraints. Various security institutions such as airports security authorities and private business security groups may employ and reap the benefits of such programs.

Overall Significance

The design of the program has been quite successful in terms of the efficient framework it offers under which all other departments coordinate their efforts. The training standards and certification norms are complied with and met effectively. The structural design of the process has been crafted specifically keeping the needs of the local community in mind. The program has been designed in a manner which is meets the terms and conditions of the Wilmington Police Department’s internal policies. Financial accountability is a major issue which the departments as well as the program staff has to take into account. Each resource assigned to the program has to be carefully analyzed and the economic feasibility has to be evaluated. In this case excellent utilization of the limited resources available to the program is demonstrated, specifically when the tight budgetary aspects are concerned. In terms of cost-effectiveness, the payback received from the K9 Squad’s operations, arrests, and captures by far prevail over the operational costs associated with the unit. The K9 Squad continues to aid the arresting of criminals, search for individuals who get lost, help other divisions of the department, and over and above serve the public in whatever way they can. On the whole the competence of the entire police department is enhanced by the cost effectiveness of the K9 Division.

However, it should be noted that It is important to understand that the concept related to the aspects of zero tolerance developed from the viewpoint that has its base in the parameters that actually rose as a classical utilitarianism reaction. It should be remembered that Jeremy Bentham placed his argument that the there is much pain in the penal system and it tend to affect an individual by a large margin and the aspects of penal consequences should be taken into consequences while evaluating the entire process of proposed crime. It should be noted that that during the time it was a normal practice to issue capital punishment. The basic concept behind this rose because it was frustrating in many cases in the context of penal system and legislation and it was viewed that anything less than a capital punishment would not be able to serve the purpose of the judicial system. This was because such situations required capital punishments as anything less than that was unable to check the flow of crime and tendency to break the law. Circumstances at times became so severe that the jurisdiction implied capital punishments to minors. However Bentham also stated that better equipped police force and improved resourcefulness would reduce penalties in the long run. It should also be taken into consideration that Right Realism and the school of Neo Classical perceptions propose a wide range of reduction in terms of punishment.

In some cases you find police being deployed in known hot spots such as areas with prostitution and drug dealing problems. These did not work in some cases. According to Sherman (1995), examples include neighbourhood watch organized with police, arrests of juveniles of minor offences, arrests of unemployed suspects for domestic assault. Some plans did not work and examples include proactive drunk-driving arrests with breath testing which may reduce accident deaths and community policing. Under these parameters the use of K9 program is a very effective and efficient mode of operation. The basic perception canine fear can be used whereas being properly trained it is logical to believe that the operations would result less human causalities. Additionally, it may be observed that coercive policing policy has sometimes failed. This is because despite heavy police presence, human beings who have different personality traits such as defiance, impulsiveness, mental instability and hostility, have continued to commit different crimes.

Therefore the sure way of controlling increasing crime rate in different areas is the community policing. This is so because while dealing with human beings it is good to show them that you care for them, you are part of them and you feel for them. Community policing will involve first knowing the problems in the community by seeking information from the citizens and businesses. Community policing is more likely to succeed since it will involve combating crime and problem in smaller groupings, that is, the neighbourhoods. Also being proactive is a good aspect of community policing in that even in medicine prevention is better responsibility and authority to carry their duties, it becomes easier for them to deal with crime in an environment devoid of bureaucracies. Community policing also helps citizens to become acquainted with and watch out for each other thus be able to report crimes immediately as they occur. Given the situation K9 program would be very efficient as the action would be instinctive and fast.

Reporting and Follow-up

The final report of the evaluation would be prepared in a structured format similar to this document inclusive of all empirical and qualitative analysis and the final conclusion. The report would be documented and exclusive copies would be forwarded to the Wilmington Police Department Chief, The WPD K9 division head. In addition a copy would also be sent for the sole use of the program staff. Local civil authorities, including the Mayor and the State Senator would receive exclusive copies of the report. A copy would also be provided for the local community library for the use of the residents of the community. This effort would be made to enhance the awareness about the program. Any institute, researcher or student requiring the report for academic purposes should get in touch with the evaluation coordinator and submit a request for a copy of the report stating detailed reason for the request and purpose of use of the report. Granting the request would be the prerogative of the evaluation coordinator and the request would be granted only after the cause and purpose of obtaining the report has been assessed.

The report would provide the intended receivers with detailed information regarding the program. All relevant information relevant to the design, implementation and outcome of the program would be provided in the report. Areas of strength and weaknesses of the program would be identified. Further follow up may be carried out independently by the department itself or department designated groups or in coordination with the evaluation staff.

Meta-Evaluation

The evaluation carried out is based on the information collected with regards to the implementation of the K9 program in the Wilmington Police Department. The primary strength of the evaluation lies in its approach and design. All the key aspects of the program were carefully considered and analyzed. Each of the key evaluation checkpoints has been paid significant attention and the checkpoints have served as a framework which guided the course of the evaluation. Another significant strength of the evaluation is the design adopted. The case study approach allowed the evaluation team to understand the functions and workings of the program components. The advantage of using a non-participatory case study method was that it presented a neutral view of the proceedings and was not subject to any biasness. However, one major drawback the evaluation suffered was that of the limited availability of data and factual information about the program proceedings. Nevertheless, the best possible approach and the most feasible and pragmatic pathway was adopted to carry out the evaluation.

References

Bidner, J. (2007). Dog Heroes: Saving Lives and Protecting America. LA: The Lyons Press.

MacKenzie, S. (2006). Decoys and Aggression: A Police K9 Training Manual. New York: Detselig Enterprises.

Sherman, Lawrence W. (1995). The Police in Crime. San Francisco, CA: ICS Press.

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