Fuchsia Dragon | [email protected]
Meet PSD Jango, the drug-detecting dog cleaning up Jasper鈥檚 streets.
Jango and her handler, Constable Jason Frederick, are part of the RCMP鈥檚 Roving Traffic Unit based in Spruce Grove that patrols highways around Alberta to improve traffic safety and intercept travelling criminals.
Jango, an 80-pound, three-year-old German shepherd, is trained to detect six odours: Cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, MDMA, fentanyl and mushrooms.
Newly trained police dogs like Jango recognise the smell of all narcotics except cannabis, so if another drug is disguised by that smell she won鈥檛 be fooled.
鈥淲ith Jango it鈥檚 not one of her odours, so you could have marijuana in the car and she doesn鈥檛 care about it,鈥� said Frederick.
鈥淚t鈥檚 great for us because we are doing warrantless searches so you have to make sure it鈥檚 illegal odours [she detects].鈥�
When marijuana was legalised in Canada the RCMP retired its narcotics dogs used for traffic stops and interception work.
That meant Frederick鈥檚 former partner, a Labrador called Henry, was taken off duty - but he is enjoying his retirement still living with the constable.
The two were partners for five years and Frederick said his dog detected $8 million of contraband during his time on the force.
And Jango could be on track to bust big-time, too.
Frederick couldn鈥檛 discuss current cases, but Jango鈥檚 last case in Jasper court was a trafficking charge laid when she sniffed out a kilo of cocaine during a traffic stop just outside town.
And the three-year-old could have many years of combating crime ahead of her.
鈥淲ith drug detecting she could work until she is 10 or 11,鈥� said Frederick.
鈥淧hysically it is not as hard as criminal apprehension work, risking injury that way.
鈥淪he has a pretty good life.鈥�
Jango is strictly drug detection. She doesn鈥檛 bite or track.
Frederick said his strong bond with his partner is very important to their work.
鈥淲hen she gets into one of the trained odours she gets as close to the drugs as possible and gives a 鈥榮it鈥� confirmation,鈥� he said.
鈥淪it is the trained response but I see the change in her behaviour.鈥�
Knowing his partner well, Frederick can see Jango start to get excited when she smells an illicit substance - but she only gives the confirmation when she鈥檚 sure, because then she gets her reward: playing with a ball.
Frederick grew up in Hinton and has been a police officer for 11 years.
He said the units here do 鈥渁mazing work鈥� and he and Jango routinely watch over Jasper.
鈥淲e are out here doing traffic enforcement and education,鈥� said Frederick.
鈥淲e work strategic locations and know at some point in time a drug or gun or criminal will get into a vehicle to go from Point A to Point B.鈥�
And when they do, this constable and his canine companion will be on hand to catch them.
