NEW ALBANY POLICE DEPARTMENT - New Albany, Ohio

the suspect(s). It is extremely important that the area to be searched is kept as least
disturbed as possible.
Narcotics Detection: The use of the canine team in this type of detection can be an
extremely beneficial tool in drug enforcement. The canine’s ability to alert on scent
produced by illegal narcotics is related to the availability of the scent and the
proficiency of the canine.
When searching a vehicle for illegal narcotics, the area of the vehicle’s location must be
safe for the canine (i.e. - traffic flow). If the area is not safe, the vehicle should be
relocated, if possible. If the interior of the vehicle is to be searched, all narcotics and
paraphernalia in plain view should be removed. All food and occupants shall also be
removed prior to an interior search. The canine officer has the final say and responsibility
on whether or not the application of the canine can be done in a safe manner.
D. Request for Off Duty Canine Team
Requests for canine assistance for New Albany Police Department related incidents
during the hours when the canine team is off duty will be approved by the on-duty
Sergeant. If no Sergeant is on duty, then an off duty Sergeant or the Chief of Police shall
be contacted to approve any request for canine assistance.
Requests for canine assistance from outside agencies or jurisdictions during hours when
there is no canine on duty will only be authorized by the on-duty Sergeant. Such
assistance should take into consideration whether an emergency exists and whether the
canine team could directly assist with the incident (i.e. - lost child, felony suspect tracking,
etc.). If no Sergeant is on duty, an off-duty Sergeant must be contacted for authorization
before the canine responds.
E. Criminal Apprehension
Use of a canine during an apprehension will be classified as an application of force. The
canine officer shall allow the canine to use only the force reasonable to affect an arrest.
The canine officer shall function within the guidelines of the Police Department’s Use of
Reasonable Force policy (see Directive 1.1.1). The following procedures will be followed
for maximum effectiveness and safety during all canine apprehensions.
The canine officer shall verbally warn the suspect, if possible, that if the suspect does
not stop fleeing, the canine will be released.
Once the canine is released, all officers will be notified that the canine has been
deployed by advising radio of such action. All officers involved in the attempted
apprehension, except the canine officer, will remain still upon deployment of the
canine.
The canine will not be released if police officers are in direct foot pursuit of the
suspect.
F. Tracking
Ground disturbance tracking can be useful for locating a lost person(s) when it is believed
the person left a known area on foot. The canine officer will utilize the canine unless it is
determined an excessive amount of time has passed or there are other reasons not to
make an attempt. It is important that officers on the scene understand that tracking is
very difficult if the area in question is contaminated.
G. Public Relations
Positive public relations are an important part of the canine team. The community may
request demonstrations. The following guidelines are formatted to help structure the
content of the demonstrations:
No canine aggression will be shown unless authorized by the Chief of Police
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