Behind the Story: It's not all licks and treats with Treasure Coast's law enforcement K-9s
Why was this an important local story to report?
Everyone loves the cute, obedient police dogs sometimes seen around the Treasure Coast in their bullet-proof dog vests. But do you really know how they can protect you? Did you know there's at least 55 of them working to keep you safe?
We take you on a tour of upgraded facilities where the working dogs learn their trades, show you the dogs in action with their trainers, and give you an idea of a law enforcement dog's daily schedule.
We explain a change in record keeping at some K-9 units on the Treasure Coast that offers a previously unavailable detailed view of the results of dog deployments.
These dogs are considered 'less-lethal uses of force.' Their discoveries of weapons or narcotics, for example, could lead to decades of jail time for someone in a traffic stop, or to the tracking and rescue of a missing person.
What surprised you about this story?
Not all law enforcement agencies on the Treasure Coast are using technology to keep track of and analyze what their K-9 dogs and handlers are doing.
Some agencies use more traditional reporting methods like a combination of incident details documented through their dispatch system, and training records kept on paper in binders. That's been described as a 'data silo' where records are stored independently and remain disconnected without correlation or analysis. So any time an officer wants to identify the amount of cocaine collected in a month or the number of people bit last year, for example, they have to go through records of dispatch notes and collect and calculate the results.
Was there anything you couldn't answer when reporting this story?
The developers of the service in use at two sheriff's offices did not respond to calls or voicemails seeking information and comment. As with some other data retrieval and storage systems, questions remain about who maintains ownership of that data and for what purposes can it be used or shared during or after discontinuation of the service.
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Corey Arwood is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Corey on Twitter @coreyarwood, or reach him by phone at 772-978-2246.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Behind the Story: Breaking news reporter gets low-down on K-9 law enforcement
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