Page 25 - BRAVO3_ISSUE3_2018

Thehandleroranyoneworkingonthehandler’sbehalfneedstounderstandthethreescentpicturesofal involvedpartiesandfigureoutawaytoisolatethesuspectsinsuchawaythatthedogisatractedtoitand canfindacorespondingtrailoutofthearea.Thereinliestheproblem.Oftentimesthescenehasbeen compromisedbyotherpeoplebeforethehandlerarives,numberone.Numbertwo,thelevelofknowledge thehandlerhasabouthumanscent,tracking,andalthemitigatingfactorsrelativetoagoodtrack.The botom line,themorescentsavvyafirstscentresponderis,thebeterthechanceofagoodtrackoutanda catch.
Let’sputascenariotogetherwherehumanscentinitsvariousformswilbeavailableforatracking/trailing team.Imagineahomeinvasionrobberythatjustoccured.Twomalesuspectsforcetheirwayinthrougha backdoorofahomebykickingitorbreakingit,forcefulydetainthesinglemaleresidentatgunpoint,and th e n ra n s a c k th e h o m e b e fo re le a v in g th e w a y th e y c a m e . T h e v ic tim c a l ls 9 1 1 a s s o o n a s th e s u s p e c ts a re gone,andthreebeatunitsrespondtothescenealongwiththepatrolsupervisor.Aquicksearchofthearea bythefirstoficersonthesceneandthehomeisdeemedclear.Iknowtherecanbefarmoredetailsbutfor
sakeofbrevitybearwithme.Ifthesuspectswereonfootandwewanttostartatrailing/trackingdogon th e ir tra il, w e n e e d a g o o d s c e n t s o u rc e to s ta rt th e m o n . K 9 p ro p e n s ity fo r fo l lo w in g s c e n t is u s u a l ly b a s e d onthefreshest/newestscentavailableunlessthedoghasbeenseriouslytrainedonscentarticles.Thisis alsofurtherconditionedbystandardsporttrackingstylesofK9trainingwherethedogsonlyfolow the freshesttrailout.Assoonasfirstrespondersarivemovingabouttheareacreatingtheirownscenttrailsthen weimmediatelyhaveaproblem forthesporttrainedtrackingdog.The“scent”padnowrealybelongstothe
t
th
h
e
e
trespondersandtheK9wilhaveapropensitytofolowthatodorespecialyifthatoficerisknowntothe dogandisnotatthescenewhenthedogisstarted.Thefirstrespondermayhavejustbecomethe unintendedtarget.
Thereisstilachancethatthedogwiltakethesuspectstrailbecausetherearefearand/oranxiety pheromonesinvolvedinthescentpictureandthedogcouldstildefaulttothat.However,thelongerwewait todeploytheK9themorethatfactorismitigated.Agingofthetrailmitigatesthefear/emotionalfactoron tracks.Ihavenoequationforit,butitisfinitejustlikethetrailitself;thelongeryouwaittorunittheless chanceofsuccessyouwilhave.
So,the“ScentPad”orplacethesuspectwaslastseen,“PLS”,isatypeofscentsource. Itismadeupgrounddisturbanceandfalenskingraftssloughedofthehuman
f
fi
i
r
rs
st
e subjectofthetrack/trailwasat.Unfortunately,suspectsdon’tnormalyscratch
theirfeetbackandforthinthedirtorspraythespotdownwithawaterspray botletomaketheplacemoreenticingtothedogwhentheygetreadyto leave.Normalytheyjustrun.So,suspectscentpadscanoftenbeeasily K9confusedwithgoodguyscentpads.Thatiswhywehavetobevery carefulaboutsimplythrowingadogintotheareaandgivingthecommand
b
b
o
od
d
y
yn
n
a
a
t
tu
ur
r
a
al
l
l
l
y
y
a
a
n
nd
de
e
x
x
a
a
c
c
e
er
rb
b
a
at
te
e
d
db
b
y
ye
ex
xe
Wecanenduptrackingacopaseasilyaswecanabadguy; especialyifthecopsthatwereatthesceneareoutandaboutsearching otherareasonfootandnotpresentwhentheK9wasstarted.
t
t
o
o
“
“
S
S
u
u
c
c
h
h
e
e
!
!”
”
er
r
t
t
i
io
on
na
an
nd
d
e
e
m
m
o
ot
t
i
io
on
WWW.BRAVO-3.COM
25
ni
in
n
t
t
h
h
e
ea
ar
re
ea
ao
o
r
rs
sp
p
o
ot
tt
t
h
h
e