ALBERTVILLE POLICE GET DRUG/TRACKING DOG

ALBERTVILLE - "Recon" is short for "reconnaissance," a word police officers
and soldiers use to describe an exploratory mission. It's an appropriate
name for Albertville's new drug and tracking dog.

Recon, a 3-year-old German Shepherd, isn't new to drug sniffing. Both dog
and handler, John Siggers, recently moved from the Marshall County Drug
Enforcement Unit. Acting Police Chief Benny Womack said the dog didn't cost
the department anything, and his upkeep is minimal.

The department retrofitted a patrol car to suit the team, having the back
seat pulled out and any fabric surfaces covered with sheet metal. The
department also will pay for yearly training to keep both dog and handler
certified to do their jobs. The training consists of yearly three-day field
trials in the region, Siggers said.

The two have been working together for a year and a half. "I love working
narcotics, and I love animals," Siggers said. As young as Recon is, he
could be expected to have a fairly long career, but Siggers said the number
of years a dog can work depends on lots of factors, including size.

At 115 pounds, Recon is large for his breed. Larger dogs sometimes have
problems with their hip joints. "One dog could last 10 years, and another
one could give it up at six," Siggers said. "A lot of times they will get
burned out."

Siggers and Recon will be used for random vehicle and facilities searches
at local schools and will continue to be used by other police agencies.

Part of the Albertville Police Department's agreement with the DEU was that
Recon be allowed to work in other schools in the county.

"We used him last week in the drug raid at Chamblee's," Womack said,
referring to a Boaz junkyard where the owner and eight other people were
arrested on drug and weapons charges April 17.

Recon's tracking skills could be used if a child is missing. Although the
dog and handler work the night shift, they will be available for tracking
and drug-fighting activities at all times, Womack said. "This is our part
of the drug war," Womack said.
"It's one of the steps we're trying to take to curb drug use."