Deputy, dog team up to sniff out narcotics activity

MOSES LAKE - Grant County sheriff's deputy Darrik Gregg holds up a vial of crack cocaine and appraises the various scents of illegal drugs.

The aromas of crack and powder cocaine differ because they're made differently, he explains. Crystal meth probably has the faintest fragrance among narcotics, while heroin and marijuana have the strongest.

"This is the last odor we introduce to the dogs to because it's so stinky," he says, pointing to a baggie packed with pot. "I can't ask him, but I would assume he knows the specific odor of marijuana, although he doesn't know what it is. He just knows, 'OK that's an odor I've been trained to find.'"

Gregg is referring to his 5-year-old partner in the ongoing battle against illegal drug activity, a Labrador retriever named Cody.

Gregg and Cody are part of the Grant County sheriff's narcotics K-9 unit, which also includes Cpl. Beau Lamens and his dog Maddox.

They typically stay within the county, Gregg says, performing random school patrols, responding to traffic stops where a vehicle has been cleared for search and helping to canvas residences where suspected drug activity has taken place. Depending on the size of the case the unit will also assist neighboring agencies or lend their skills to a multi-agency drug task force.

"This is something I wanted to do even before I even got into law enforcement," Gregg says. "It's one of those jobs where, when you get a good find it's pretty rewarding."

In an area where meth and marijuana are seen on a regular basis, as well as other drugs in lesser amounts, he and Cody have had their share of discoveries. From concerts at the Gorge to assisting the DEA with a major region-wide bust in Othello, the pair have kept busy since becoming certified by the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission in 2007.

After three years as a Royal City police officer, Gregg joined Grant County in 2006 and, a year later, leapt at the chance to enter into his dream job. After their initial introduction, Gregg and his new dog underwent an extensive seven week, 220 hour course at the Washington State Patrol Academy in Shelton.

It's there narcotics dogs are trained to recognize and seek out drug scents by way of a wall full of holes, each attached to a tube in order to isolate odors.

"So as the dog goes through and puts his nose in these holes he'll eventually stick his nose in the hole that has the odor in it," Gregg says. "Somebody's in the back of the wall and once they see the dog get to that odor they release the toy, so the dog knows that if they can find that odor they get the toy."

Every time a dog locates an odor they're taught to sit, alerting the handler drugs are nearby.

To reinforce the training Gregg and Cody attend an eight-hour session once a month along with other narcotics K-9 units from around Eastern Washington.

A narcotics dog can be any breed, Gregg says, so long as the individual animal has the necessary temperament. He's met basset hounds, Border collies, pit bulls and others employed as "dope dogs," which are typically screened and pulled from animal shelters.

The ideal dog for this kind of work has a high drive, with a penchant for hunting prey regardless of the difficulty, Gregg says.

"We'll take a ball like this, put it under a crate and put a rock on it and we want to see how long they'll go," he says. "A lot of them, like Cody, they'll dig because they want to get at the ball. When they get the ball or the toy in their mouth you don't want them to let go because they know that once they lose it the game's over."

It's a game the dogs are very much in tune with, Gregg says.

"When we search cars Cody will automatically go to gas tank covers or license plates. Wheel wells. They'll remember where we typically hide stuff during training," he says. "Wherever I touch, he'll sniff."

Gregg and other K-9 handlers are protective of their partners. He'll occasionally refuse to bring Cody into a residence if there are excessive hazards, such as broken glass or animal waste.

"If we go somewhere we haven't been, the handler will go in first to make sure the dog isn't going to get hurt," he says. "If there's a meth lab or a clandestine lab inside a house we won't search it because with all the chemicals I don't want him sticking his nose in something and getting sick."

But Cody isn't all work.

Throughout the year he visits elementary schools with his handler for presentations on safety, although Gregg said the kids sometimes have a hard time paying attention to the lecture.

"The highlight is obviously the dog," he said. "They don't care that much about me."

And at the end of every day, Cody goes home with Gregg for a little R and R.

"My kids love him. He's a big goof," Gregg said. "Sometimes he doesn't want to be a dope dog, he just wants to be a dog."