Steinig Tal Police Canine Training Standard 1. Objectives 2. Types of Certifications 3. Failure to meet Standards 4. Certification Sites 5. Certification Evaluators 6. Records of Certifications 7. Certification Fees 8. General Certification Rules and Requirements I. NARCOTIC DETECTION CERTIFICATION 1. Vehicle Searches 2. Building Searches 3. Parcel Searches 4. School Searches II TRACKING/TRAILING CERTIFICATION III. PATROL UTILIZATION CERTIFICATION 1. Control/Obedience 2. Evidence Search 3. Area Search 4. Building Search 5. Vehicle Stops 6. Criminal Apprehension 7. Handler Protection 8. Public Relations 1. OBJECTIVES a. To ensure that police K9 teams are properly trained in order to protect lives and property of our citizens. b. To provide a standard in which all trained K9's must maintain the performance of their duties. c. To ensure that handlers have adequate knowledge of the laws regarding the use of K9's. d. To prevent malicious use of partially trained K9's within Law Enforcement Agencies. e. To provide re-certification on a timely basis in order to maintain the integrity and credibility of the K9 teams. TYPES OF CERTIFICATION All K9's must be certified in the specific areas in which they are trained.The following certifications will be given and maintained by Steinig Tal Kennel Llc: a. Narcotic Detection b.Tracking/Trailing c. Patrol Utilization These certifications of the K9's are on a pass/fail basis. No points will be awarded. The certification will be based on the ability to perform the tasks set forth by the procedures adopted by Steinig Tal Kennel Llc. All certifications shall be conducted by the K9 and his current handler. The certification shall be valid for one year, and the re-certification will be given on a timely basis. FAILURE TO MEET STANDARDS K9 teams that fail to meet the standards of the Certification may be given the opportunity to re-test in the area of standard it did not achieve. The re-test shall be given at the end of the certification of that certification period, if time permits, or within thirty days of failure. Failure to achieve the standard on the re-test shall result in a recommendation by STK to remove the team from actual deployment of that particular utilization until certification can be obtained. There will be two opportunities to re-test. CERTIFICATION SITES The certification sites will be conducted at various sites throughout the state of Wisconsin. The host agency shall be responsible for providing the necessary areas and equipment in which the certification takes place. Each Certification shall have one or more evaluators. The evaluators will be approved by STK. They will be determined by experience, knowledge, and backround. The evaluators will critique the handler verbally following each exercise, and forward to Agency their written results. RECORDS OF CERTIFICATION Each Agency will be responsible for maintaining records of the certification, along with STK, for each team that participates. CERTIFICATION FEES 1. See letter. NARCOTIC DETECTION CERTIFICATION There will be a total of four types of searches conducted: a. Vehicle Search b. Building or Residential Search c. Parcel Search (may include luggage, envelopes, boxes, etc.) d. School Locker Search The searches will include the following Narcotics: a. Cannabis (marijuana, hashish, and derivatives) b. Cocaine and its derivatives c. Heroin and its derivatives d. Methamphetamine Any team wishing to certify in any other narcotic must notify the Kennel at least thirty days prior to Certification. All test hides shall be at a minimum of 1 gram in weight. The narcotics shall be hidden in practical areas and allowed to age for a minimum of twenty minutes prior to the first teams search. During the test, only the team and the evaluators will be allowed in the search area. In each of the searches, enticement articles such as food may be used to thoroughly test the K9's ability. The dog must make the alert at the source and the handler shall call the find. There will be a minimum of 20 possible indications of narcotics during the test. The dog must be able to locate a minimum of 17 hides in order to achieve certification. There may be no more than 3 missed finds in order to pass certification. One false indication shall be evaluated as a failure to indicate. Two false indications shall result in the failure of that portion of the narcotic certification. Teams shall be given certification for the types of narcotics located, provided requirement #9 does not apply. VEHICLES There will be a total of five vehicles used. There will be at least 4 test hides concealed on the vehicles. There may be one enticement article during the test. One vehicle will remain clean of any articles or narcotics. There will be a thirty minute time limit to search the four vehicles. There will be a minimum of two outside hide and two inside hides. BUILDINGS The building search shall consist of a minimum of four rooms with a minimum of 600 square feet total area. There will be a minimum of 6 hides concealed, one for each of the narcotics. An enticement article may be hidden. The narcotics may be hidden at any height with a maximum of eight feet high. There will be a thirty minute time limit to search the four rooms. PARCELS Shall consist of three rows of six packages, each. Packages will be a minimum of three feet apart. There will be one test hide in each column of parcels. An enticement article may be hidden in each column. There will be a ten minute time limit to search the three columns. SCHOOL LOCKERS Shall consist of 2 banks of lockers (with a minimum of 8 lockers per bank). There will be a minimum of 3 hides, consisting of three different odors, within the banks.. An enticement article may be hidden in one of the lockers. There will be a ten minute time limit to search the lockers. TRACKING/TRAILING CERTIFICATION The purpose of the certification is to determine the dog’s ability to locate a suspected criminal or a lost person. The track will consist of a minimum of two and a maximum of six of the following terrains: A. Field B. Gravel C. Leaves D. Creek Bed E. Dirt F. Concrete G. Woods H. Asphalt I. High Grass J. Etc. The track will be a minimum of twenty minutes and a maximum of seventy-five minutes old. The track will be a minimum length of 1/4 mile and a maximum of 1.5 miles.. There may be scent articles placed along the track (team will not be penalized for failure to locate the article). The tracking team will be given a starting point, and the direction of travel by the evaluator. There may be a cross track laid prior to, or after the actual track. There will be a thirty minute time limit to complete the track, unless longer than one mile. The team will successfully pass this certification by locating the actual track layer. If it is obvious to the evaluator that the dog is not tracking/trailing, the evaluator may stop the test at any time. PATROL UTILIZATION CERTIFICATION Any or all testing may be conducted at night or during daylight hours. The K9 must demonstrate control during the control phase before being allowed to test any further. The K9 team will be certified in the areas that it proves to be proficient. The agility of the dog will be evaluated during all phases of the test. The team will be evaluated in the following areas: Obedience/Control Evidence search Area search Building search Vehicle stops Criminal apprehension Handler protection Control/obedience The dog must demonstrate control before being allowed to test further. May be conducted on fields, asphalt, concrete, etc., at the direction of the evaluators and the availability. All dogs will be tested under the same conditions. The testing will be conducted on and off lead. The team must accomplish the following in any order. At the direction of the evaluator, each team will heel the K9 approximately 60 paces, including fast and slow pacing, a minimum of one left, one right, and one about turn, and a minimum of two halts. The K9 will be placed in a sit or down at the discretion of the handler and told to stay. The handler will walk a minimum of thirty paces and turn, and at the request of the evaluator, the handler will call his K9 to him. The teams shall then weave through the other teams and the K9 shall show no overt aggression toward other teams. The team shall pass the certification upon demonstration of basic control. Area Search The area search may consist of the following types of terrain. Field Woods Fenced vehicle compound Business park/school complex The area search may be conducted on or off lead, at the direction of the handler. The K9 will be tested on its ability to locate a subject in an open environment. The subject will be hidden a minimum of fifteen minutes before each team is tested. The test will have a fifteen minute time limit. The K9 must make a clear indication to the evaluator as to the location of the subject. There will be no equipment allowed for Decoy Building search The building search will be conducted off lead. There will be no equipment allowed for Decoy. The K9 will be tested on its ability to locate a subject in an enclosed structure. The building shall be a minimum of one thousand square feet up to a maximum of ten thousand square feet. The subject will be hidden for a minimum of ten minutes before each team is tested. The test shall have a twenty minute time limit. The K9 must make a clear indication to the evaluator as to the location of the subject. Vehicle stops The vehicle stops will consist of three separate stops. K9 stays in vehicle K9 is called to handler from vehicle. Handler is assaulted while K9 is in vehicle The phases may be conducted in any order The evaluator will decide what will occur on each stop (ie: conversation or assault). After each stop, the K9 will remain in the vehicle for a minimum of thirty seconds awaiting evaluator’s instructions. The team must successfully complete the three vehicle stops to achieve certification. Evidence search This test shall be conducted in approximately a one-half acre area with five articles hidden. The K9 will be tested on its ability to locate or indicate the article to his handler. The area may consist of woods, weeds, grass, underbrush, etc. There will be a ten minute time limit to go out and locate the article. The article will age for a minimum of thirty minutes before the first team is tested. The article will be scented by breath, hand, etc. for approximately one minute. Articles will consist of the following: metal gun knife wrench bank bag hat Screwdriver wallet/pocket book tire iron etc. credit card The K9 must indicate to the handler the article in order to be certified in this area. Handlers may enter the area to be searched; however the K9 must make the actual find obvious to the evaluator. Criminal apprehension The suspect will step out of concealment a minimum of one hundred feet away from the team. The suspect will begin to run at a brisk pace away from the team. The K9 will be instructed to apprehend. The suspect will then stop, turn and surrender. The team then shall demonstrate one of three options. The K9 must bark and hold, or must be recalled , or downed by the handler. The suspect will step out from concealment a minimum of one hundred feet away from the team. The suspect will then begin running away from the team. The handler will send the K9 to apprehend the suspect, and command the K9 to release. The handler will then command his K9 to sit, down, heel, or to stay. The handler will approach the suspect, search, and then take the suspect to the evaluator. The team will fail this portion of the certification if any of the following occur: The K9 re-bites after being called off The K9 fails to release The handler makes physical contact with the K9 The K9 fails to apprehend The K9 bites the suspect during the transport The suspect will step out of concealment a minimum distance of one hundred feet away from the team. He will fire one and not more than two shots from a gun. Handler and K9 must seek cover and return fire ( a minimum of two rounds). K9 will not be sent to apprehend. The team will fail this portion of the certification if any of the following occur: The K9 blatantly pulls the handler from cover/concealment The K9 apprehends the suspect The K9 bites the handler If it appears to the evaluator that the handler is out from cover Handler protection The handler will approach the suspect and have his K9 sit or down and stay. The handler and the suspect will then conduct a handshake and conversation for approximately thirty seconds. The suspect may then, at the discretion of the evaluator, assault the handler. The K9 must protect the handler by apprehension, and then release when commanded to do so. The handler must then escort the suspect to the evaluator. The team will fail this portion of the certification if any of the following occur: The K9 re-bites after the call off The K9 fails to apprehend The K9 fails to release The handler makes physical contact with the K9 The K9 makes an unprovoked apprehension of the suspect The K9 bites the suspect during the transport If no assault is made during the exercise, the handler will be instructed to return to his K9 and secure him, then walk away from the suspect. To receive certification in the criminal apprehension portion, the team must satisfactorily perform in the four phases. The release of the actual apprehension (bite) will be at the discretion of the evaluators. Once the evaluator has given instruction for the release, the handler will have a total of ten seconds to accomplish the release, without physically touching the K9. The ten second period will begin after the handler’s first verbal command. Any K9 that does not release within the specified time will fail the criminal apprehension certification. The K9 will be off-leash during the entire phase of the criminal apprehension certification with the exception of the transport, which is at the handler’s discretion. Evaluators will instruct the handlers when to send the K9 for apprehension, when to recall from apprehension, when to release, etc. Revised October 1, 2013. Reviewed 2/1/2018