New Rolling Meadows police dog has a nose for crime
When the newest member of the Rolling Meadows police department joined the force, he hit the ground running - on all four paws.
Harley, a Belgian Malinois and Tervuren mix who's not yet 2 years old, started his new job in early August. On his third day of duty he led police to $25 million worth of cocaine.
Not bad for a rookie.
"Dogs are the new trendy police tool to have," said his handler, officer Steve Whetstone. Until last month Rolling Meadows was one of only a few Northwest suburban towns without one.
Harley, who is trained to sniff out heroin, cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamines, adds a new dimension to both the patrol and investigative divisions.
Police officials decided to purchase a dog after a drug arrest in the city netted "a shopping bag full of money," said Cmdr. Bill Arneson. A federal program allows communities to keep a portion of the confiscated funds, and Rolling Meadows reaped $70,000.
"It worked out real well for us. That's what gave us our startup," Arneson said.
Several officers applied to become Harley's handler, and Whetstone, an eight-year veteran of the force, was chosen. "It's a long-term commitment," said investigations Cmdr. Joe Waitzman. "There are a great deal of responsibilities."
During a photo shoot this week, Harley playfully approached each person in the room, sniffing camera bags and pens. Whetstone kept busy brushing dog hair off his dark uniform. "I have enough hair on me to knit another dog," he joked.
They are together 24/7, at home and patrolling during the swing shift in a squad car equipped with a back-seat kennel.
Harley was welcomed to the Whetstone home in Mount Prospect by his wife, Kerry, and their three children, ages 4, 2 and 3 months. Even the family's Australian shepherd mix, Sidney, doesn't mind sharing the attention.
Harley was born in the Netherlands and trained with Whetstone at Vohne Liche Kennels in Indiana. The school has a European connection, and the Harley's breed is gaining popularity over the traditional German shepherds because of its health history, agility and lighter weight.
He's trained in Dutch, so Whetstone had to learn a few foreign commands. "Zooken" means search, "plotz" is heel and "auf" is lie down.
"The training was probably more for me than for him," said Whetstone, who had to learn to interpret Harley's behaviors.
Harley is a "passive indicating dog." Instead of barking or scratching when he detects drugs, he simply sits down and places his nose where the scent is strongest - on a desk drawer, for instance.
His reward for a find? No doggy treats here. "All he wants in return is that I throw him a tennis ball," Whetstone said. "He looks at this as a game."
This kind of training is popular because there's less liability, Whetstone explained. A dog could scratch up the inside of an expensive car if there is residual odor from someone previously using drugs inside it.
On traffic stops, Harley can legally walk around a car without a warrant to sniff the air. If he sits, that's evidence enough for a search inside the car. The dog is viewed as an expert witness in such a search.
The typical human has 5 million scent receptors, but a dog has 200 million, Whetstone says. "His nose doesn't stop." Wads of money can get his attention, since much of the currency in America has traces of drugs on it, he says.
For the cocaine bust in August, Harley was called in to assist in a regional investigation and discovered 520 pounds of the drug in a Melrose Park warehouse.
Getting a canine is an expensive venture for a department, but the returns can be huge. "With what he can give back, it's a real benefit," Whetstone said.
He's getting more comfortable with his surroundings at work - and consequently more friendly toward the other officers. One of his favorites is Waitzman, who's also the dog sitter when the Whetstones are out of town.
In the past, Rolling Meadows police have used canine units from other towns to assist them. "We've never been told no," Waitzman said. Now Harley can help other agencies with drug searches when his nose is needed. It's a chance to return the favors, Waitzman said.