I was recently told a K-9 tracking story and I was asked for my opinion about the tactics used to apprehend the suspect and for any suggestions on doing things better in the future. The circumstances surrounding this case were that two armed and dangerous gang members, and suspected murderers, lead police on a high speed pursuit, eventually abandoning their car and fleeing on foot into a rural populated area. The first suspect was tracked down with K-9 and surrendered without resistance. The second suspect was tracked down and cornered underneath a mobile home that had a metal skirting completely around the bottom of it. A perimeter of officers were quickly set around the trailer and all K-9 warnings were ignored by the suspect. From the upwind side of the trailer, officers launched a canister of "clear out" under the trailer, eventually persuading the suspect to surrender without further incident.

Tactics done right...
The first consideration for tactics in any incident with known facts similar to the ones in this case, are the number of cover officers moving with the K-9. Knowing that you have two suspects, I suggest the 2x+1 factor, which provides twice as many officers as there are suspects plus one for good measure, which could be the K-9 team. Once the suspect has been adequately contained, and in this particular case, underneath a mobile home, time is on our side. This is a well defined containment and the use of the K-9 can be a secondary consideration. I believe the tactics used in this specific case were exemplary and resulted in an arrest without placing officers at further risk.  It wasn't necessary for the officers to get close to the underside of the mobile home where the suspect had an advantage in defending his position.

If it had become necessary to deploy the dog underneath the trailer to make the apprehension, officers would have been forced to approach the trailer and remove a portion of the skirting to allow the dog access because the suspect had put the skirting back in place. The dangers of such an approach would require a ballistic shield for cover and the dangers of being shot would remain high. Since the exact location of the suspect was not clear, the angle of any potential shot could negate the protection of the shield.

Sending an unleashed dog under the trailer could serve as a pain compliance method to encourage a rapid surrender, but I don't recommend such methods because the outcome is too unpredictable and the success of such a deployment isn't as high as having the dog tethered. The long line method also comes with its own set of risks, with the most common frustration being that the dog will entangle himself and become virtually useless once this happens. However, if the dog is able to make contact, the suspect could be removed by pulling on the dog's long line.
So, once again, circumstances dictate how we'll approach any situation. The important thing to remember is that once we have the suspect locked into a well defined perimeter, such as underneath a mobile home, time can be on our side in dealing with his final surrender. Time gives us tactical  options and we owe it to ourselves not to rush in so quickly.

The value of Power....collars that is....cannot be overstated, in my opinion. I firmly believe their technology has evolved and continues to do so with outstanding results for our industry. What hasn't evolved as quickly is the training methods for their use, our industry's understanding of their practical application and more importantly their acceptance.
 

Power collar training methods have also evolved, yet the stigma of improper use and poor results continue to keep their progression throughout the U.S. police K-9 population to a slow crawl forward. As with anything new, this too must accompany a full understanding of the process. The progressions and regressions that are sure to develop in power collar training are indicative of the nature of all training regimens. Once these hurdles are realized and overcome, the new replaces the old and then becomes accepted practice and practical applications of power collar training will be fully realized.
I have heard all the excuses and all the reasons why power collars are not the right choice of training tools for many police dogs. It was once suggested to me, that, by the mere fact that I was training my dog using a power collar, that I was admitting that I lacked control over my dog. This would tend to suggest that any dog on a leash is out of control.  

It's my opinion that every police dog in America deserves the right to be properly trained and if we find ourselves coming up short again and again in our commitment to providing that training, then we're guilty of a grievous injustice to our dogs, ourselves and our communities. The technology is here, the training is here....the results are undisputable and remarkable to say the least. The power collar does more than simply redirect misbehavior, it enhances K-9 performance to levels unprecedented in American history, thus increasing officer safety in real deployments like never before.

It's just my opinion....

Jeff Barrett
Police K9 Magazine Training & Consulting