Rural Crime Watch views cadaver dog display and discusses protection rights

By Sharon McLeay Times Contributor

Dogs are often trained for location tasks, due to their keen sense of smell. Dogs have more nasal membrane than humans do, a 40 per cent larger brain area devoted to smell, and they can detect smells 1,000 to 10,000 times better than a human being can.
Dogs have been used to sniff out drugs, bombs, illegal money, people trapped in earthquakes, human illnesses like diabetes and cancer, bed bugs, termites, and various plants and animal smells.
On April 19, Wheatland Rural Crime Watch members were privileged to view a handler and cadaver dog run through training exercises, used to train them for detecting deceased persons who may be located in a variety of environments.
“When we can help individuals and families gain some closure it makes it all worthwhile,” said the dog’s handler, who asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons.
The dog and handler have a long-term commitment that involves long hours of training and travel for work and certification courses. The dog must learn detection skills and the trainer must learn recognizing the dog’s behaviour and interpret that for search officials. Training begins when the dog is a puppy and must be renewed continually even in adult years. Certification takes about 400 hours of training and includes detection at ground level, elevated locations, buried and submersion under water. The handler pays all the costs, as no support funds are currently available in Canada. Fundraisers and private donations are ways they support the training of the dogs.
The Rural Crime Watch meetings often have special speakers present interesting topics to the members.
At the next meeting, scheduled for May 17, the new cannabis regulations will be discussed. Members said they were interested about issues that arise when growers set up shop in the county or near their property. Members and the public are welcome to attend.
Aside from general business at the April meeting, Eileen Walker proposed that something be done to notify the government and police that Wheatland County landowners would be protecting themselves against criminal activity on their properties.
“If we continue to let criminals steal, destroy property, murder, etc … we are serving no purpose at all. We might as well replace our signs (Rural Crime Watch signs) with ‘welcome criminals,’” said Walker.
One member commented he had his padlocked gates rammed by a vehicle to get access to his property.
Dean Young, Wheatland County peace officer, agreed that people are tired of criminals victimizing their properties, but he cautioned members not to resort to vigilante justice. People are allowed to defend themselves, family or property, but the means used must match the threat posed by the criminals, or excessive force charges may be laid.
Wheatland County Deputy Reeve Scott Klassen said he is aware undercover officers are operating in the county to deal with organized crime issues. He also stated Wheatland County would be funding an additional watch clerk position for the Strathmore RCMP detachment that should give officers more time to monitor and respond to crime.
An arrest involving stolen property, guns, drugs and cash was made in Wheatland County on March 3 and on March 21; the criminal who stole farm equipment in the Beiseker area was caught. Young said undercover officers are out there and often the public doesn’t hear about the work being done.
“There is the impression out there that police are not active,” said Young. “I can attest that that’s not true. You don’t hear about their successes until they have caught somebody. There is a lot we don’t see or hear. We have to operate on a bit of faith.”
Young pointed out the job of police is to collect the facts and bring them to trial, but sentencing is in the justice system’s hands. He urged members to write their MPs to change laws affecting landowners protecting themselves and continue calling the police when they see suspicious activity.