Military, Police dogs train together

  • Published
  • By Lee Ross
  • Nucleus
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  The Albuquerque Police Department and 377th Security Forces K-9 handlers are working together to improve training for both groups.

APD and Kirtland law enforcement trained their dogs together on Jan. 21 at an old library, currently not in use, near the intersection of Gibson and Wyoming boulevards. The dogs were tasked with finding Staff Sgt. Erik Parris, who was hiding in the staff break room and wearing a suit of protective padding.

The first Albuquerque Police dog that was brought found Parris' hiding place in less than a minute. It barked and returned to the handler, who then called out to give the "suspect" a chance to surrender.

Parris didn't come out and the dog, whose tail was wagging, was unleashed. The dogs are not entirely gentile, Parris said.

"He slammed my head against the wall a couple of times," Parris said after
After a day of serving as decoy for one dog after another, he developed a small collection of bruises.

Dogs can bite down with 800 pounds of force, according to officer Scott Weimerskirch, a tactical canine handler and trainer for APD. Being held by a dog is similar to tipping back a refrigerator, adding a few nails to the bottom and slowly lowering it onto your arm, he said. Continual training is vital, he said.

"These dogs are just like kids. You never stop teaching them," he said.

Weimerskirch has been with APD for more than 15 years and worked as a dog handler in the Air Force. He was stationed at Kirtland from 1993 to 1998, he said. He took his first class in dog handling 23 years ago and said he has seen the quality of training improve quite a bit.

"This is an ever-evolving career field," he said.

Using a dog is considered less-than-lethal force, Weimerskirch said, which means the documentation training officers do with the dogs will likely come under scrutiny if an arrested suspect's case goes to court.

That's why learning about 377th Security Forces' documentation procedures has been an invaluable aspect of cross training, according to APD Sgt. Chris Harmond.

"There is no police department that documents its training at this level," he said. "When you're doing testimony, these are the documents that will show consistency and training."

He added that the records also aid with training by exposing any deficiencies in the dogs or the dog handler more quickly.

"It's like spinning plates," he said. "It's very fluid. You don't want to overly train in one area."

Tech. Sgt. Daniel Wilson, who heads up Kirtland's Military Working Dog Section, said working with APD is beneficial to everyone.

"These guys have taught us realistic tactics for deploying the dogs and team tactics, so the dogs know the difference between the good guys and the bad guys. When we go out there and work hand-in-hand with (APD), we already know their training, tactics and procedures."

It's not just a job of shuffling paperwork for APD or 377th Security Forces, though.
While an APD officer brought yet another dog into the library and Parris went back to his hiding place, Wilson said he can't think of a better job.

"I wouldn't want to do anything else," he said. "This is the best job in the military."