March 6, 2023 |
Photo – WHP K-9 Officers with Handlers – by Matt Copeland Bigfoot99
Drug-sniffing dogs face a new, lethal, on-the-job danger. A cache of fentanyl can incapacitate a human instantly when inhaled at close range. Canines are even more at risk.
The Wyoming Highway Patrol has been pioneering a program to train K-9 officers to spot fentanyl. The process has been slow, but successful so far.
The WHP’s first fentanyl-detection K9 was certified in July of last year. Nine additional canine teams across the state successfully finished their training and were certified in the last two weeks. Lt. Joshua Hardee talked with Bigfoot 99 about the process of expanding WHP’s K-9 program.
The first WHP dog trained to detect fentanyl was K-9 Officer Reno. Lt. Hardee said Reno’s training allowed the Highway Patrol to pull illegal fentanyl off the streets.
Lt. Hardee said the Highway Patrol expanded its training program after seeing the success of Officer Reno. The next generation of canine officers graduated last week, bringing the total number of fentanyl sniffing dogs to ten.
Training for the new batch of nine fentanyl sniffing dogs was funded by Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, or HIDTA (pronounced Hi-Da) grant. Lt. Hardee said the Highway Patrol will use future HIDTA grants to replace dogs as they age out of service.
Lt. Hardee said some law enforcement agencies are hesitant to go after the dangerous opioid fentanyl because it is a legally prescribed pain management drug. The Wyoming Highway Patrol officer said legitimate fentanyl users carry tiny amounts.
Carbon County has seen the effect of illegal fentanyl on our communities firsthand. At least three county residents have died as a direct result of fentanyl use. Lt. Hardee said the drug is just now making its way into the state. He said it will take the combined efforts of state and local law enforcement agencies to stem the tide.
Not all counterfeit fentanyl is found on the interstate. Drug traffickers are avoiding the Highway Patrol by traveling through smaller towns. Lt. Hardee said municipal police officers may request to use the fentanyl sniffing dogs if they suspect someone is illegally transporting the drug.
More drugs are being laced with the deadly opioid. Lt. Hardee said the best way to avoid unintentional fentanyl exposure is to abstain from all illegal drug use.
