vernonia’s
voice community
october
2007
05
Police Dog Drug Detection -
- A Conversation with Trainer Randy Hare
By Scott Laird
Randy Hare has been training dogs for over
twenty years, but in the last ten years he has devel-
oped his own new technique for training police dogs
dlers. This technique has proven to be effective with
the added bonus that it holds up well in court. Ran-
dy and Gina have produced two training videos that
show this technique in action and were working on a
third while training in Vernonia.
I was invited to attend one of the training sessions
at the Vernonia fire hall, and had the opportunity to
see Randy’s technique in action, take some photos,
and ask some questions. Randy has a great sense
of humor, and likes to have fun while working, joking
with his students, and gently teasing anyone else in
his vicinity. But when it comes to training the dogs, he
is all business. The following are excerpts from my
conversation with Randy Hare.
“I got interested in dog training and handling while
hunting with beagles in the late 70’s, and then in 1984
I attended a formal training school. In
the beginning you believe you have to
manufacture a reputation for yourself,
but slowly you progress and learn, and
find out you don’t know everything. It
took me a while to realize that I didn’t
like the theory behind the training – the
use of compulsion and corrections to
train dogs in detection. So I figured out
and created this technique.”
in drug detection. Randy and his partner Gina String-
er are from Jackson, Mississippi and recently spent
three weeks in Vernonia teaching their technique to
Vernonia Police Sergeant Mike Kay, Canine Officer
Krueger, one of Krueger’s pups Kona, and Ike, a ca-
nine officer in Clatskanie.
Randy teaches dogs to detect marijuana, meth,
cocaine, and heroin without prompting from their han-
between the handler and the dog. If there are no
drugs, the dog will not have anything to respond to.”
“The dog is a tool, and we have to use it like any
other tool. The less they are under our control, and
more under their own control, the more we get out of
them.”
“We get out and teach these training schools
about five times a year, but are hoping to get to where
we do about one a month. The class is made up of
three to six students and lasts three weeks. We will
also be making some presentations at a couple of
large conferences coming up this fall.”
“I still learn every time I’m out training, but I feel
like I have enough knowledge to pass on and help
dogs and their trainers do their jobs better.”
“We let the odor train the dog, and
let that be the path to reward. We don’t
want the dog to alert on something
else. We want it to alert on the contra-
band. We train them to enter the area
and locate the point of the odor with no
prompting from the handler, and then
they get their reward. There has to be a
clear understanding of the desired task
D.A.D.’s Recycling –
Vernonia: So Much to Be Proud Of,
Servicing Our Community: So Much More to Do
Reminder, Days and Hours By Sally Harrison, Mayor of Vernonia
It is with a great deal of pleasure that I sit down game by identifying how issues can be handled in a
of Operation
By Scott Laird
I recently stopped by D.A.D.’s Recycling to drop
off my paper, plastic and metal that had been accu-
mulating over the past few weeks. While making my
drop, owner Allen Deweber and I got to talking, and
he told me about a problem he’s having. People are
coming by and dropping stuff off when the center is
not open. Recently Allen had to close for the day to
attend a family funeral and returned to work to find
his gate entrance totally blocked.
Now those responsible may think they are doing
Deweber and his family a favor by dropping off their
recyclables since Allen does turn around and sell the
material he collects, but folks have been dropping
their items right in front of the main gate. The other
day Deweber wasn’t able to pull into the lot to open
up before moving a large pile of cardboard and other
items. Another morning he found a six cylinder en-
gine block obstructing his way and yet another day a
refrigerator; Deweber charges for appliance drop offs,
so this didn’t help him out at all.
Deweber appreciates all the business Vernonians
have brought him. Most weeks they have been able
to fill a thirty-yard container just with the paper and
plastic. He offers free drop off for paper, plastic and
most metals as a service to the community. The Dew-
eber family has been running D.A.D.’s Recycling for
nearly two and a half years and are open Tuesdays,
Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
with pen in hand to write to you about our fair city of
Vernonia.
There are so many things happening, brought on by
so many, it’s hard to know where to begin.
So, let’s start by counting our blessings.
First, our “crackerjack” Police Force. I can’t say
enough about our “award winning” Chief Workman and
his staff. We are truly fortunate to have the quality offi-
cers who serve us. County and State Law enforcement
have been financially strapped for some time now, and
it has been evident that Vernonia needed to take care of
Vernonia. Our Police Department does just that.
Next, I want to send out kudos to our various Com-
mittees who serve so selflessly. Our Planning Com-
mission is addressing issues like down town parking
and adult entertainment now before they become prob-
lems later. Public Works, The Learning Center, Parks,
Airport and Cemetery Committees, The Library Board,
all quietly going about the business at hand, giving of
their precious time and energy for the betterment of our
Community.
We have a City Staff we can be proud of, from M.
R. “Dick” Kline at the helm to our Public Works Crew.
I’m telling you plain and simple, Mr. Kline stepped into
a mess when he came to work here. Not just mistakes
by former administrators but issues that hadn’t been ad-
dressed historically.
Some of the projects we are working to implement
to improve the efficiency of City Hall are:
1. A Master Public Works Plan. So many concerns
have come to light because of recent building devel-
opment; it has become obvious we need a plan. As it
stands now, we’re just putting out fires as they pop up.
With a plan we will finally be able to get ahead of the
knowledgeable, consistent and efficient manner.
2. For the past year your City Staff has been work-
ing on and is now implementing a new simplified and
reorganized financial accounting system. This is a big
deal. For example now you or I can go to City Hall
and ask “How are the Parks accounts doing?” and get
an up to date accounting. Finally we will know where
we stand financially on a daily basis.
3. A Master Plan for the development of the Lake
property. We will be working with Fish and Wildlife,
DEQ, and other agencies to insure that any and all de-
velopment will impact the wildlife and natural beauty
of the area in the least harmful way. But, in the same
breath, we need to have our Parks System self suffi-
cient and paying its own way. No easy task.
4. There is still the looming specter of our Sewer
System and DEQ requirements, a constant source of
angst and consternation. We have been given a short
reprieve on Phase II from DEQ, allowing us time to
seek out alternative methods to meet our obligation
and find the best way to pay for it.
Yes, we have challenges. I don’t like the $11.50 a
month water charge, I don’t like the four million dollar
sewer obligation we will need to start paying on Phase
I, and I don’t like that so few are going to be respon-
sible for so much. But, I have complete faith that with
Dick Kline’s expertise, a dedicated City Staff, and the
collective minds of this community we will prevail, we
will survive and we will prosper.
If you have concerns, questions, opinions and,
most important, solutions, don’t hesitate to call City
Hall, come to Council Meetings or join a Committee.
This is your town, your tax dollars and your home.