K-9 Unit Teaches Residents New Tricks

The South County Precinct of the St. Louis County Police is hosting a free, .

The academy will focus on different departments and aspects of police service and will include a trip to the academy and a graduation ceremony. Each week, Patch will give a summary of the academy and the lessons provided.

For information on how to join the CPA, call the Fourth Precinct at 314-892-1510 or email Southcountyprecinct@stlouisco.com. 

One of the presenters at the second week of the Citizens Police Academy had fur.

Six-year-old German Shepherd Miky and his handler Officer Tyler Edgecombe of the St. Louis County K-9 Unit showed attendees that man’s best friend makes just as good of a police officer as humans do.

“He’s there to take the proverbial bullet,” Edgecombe said. “It’s safer and they love to do it. Until I had one of these animals come in and take the brunt of something… it’s humbling.”

Miky is a 75-pound dog from Czechoslovakia and is one of six teams of dogs and handlers working with County Police.

Edgecombe and Miky have been working together for the last five years. In a typical day, Miky’s duties consist of narcotics searches, tracking, trailing, arrest and tactical support and suspect apprehension. He can smell drugs from heroin to ecstasy to crack and meth. 

“That dog will bring an immediate end to what’s going on,” Edgecombe said.

The academy also heard from Mike McCartney, with the county’s Meth Unit.

McCartney said meth is the fastest-growing drug around the country, totaling about 34.3 million users. There are approximately 14.1 million cocaine users and 14.9 million opiate addicts.

The danger of meth labs now, he said, is that they can be as small as a Gatorade bottle. Lithium strips, water and acid can be combined in one small space to create a traveling meth lab.

These ‘one pot’ meth labs have sprung up all over the county, totaling 58 busts last year and 37 so far this year.

St. Louis County has yet to pass a law requiring a prescription for the pseudoephedrine drugs used to make meth. These laws exist in Jefferson County, and have increased St. Louis County’s drug sales, McCartney said.

The county hosts four of the top 10 stores in the state with the highest pseudoephedrine sales, including the Walgreens on Kennerly Road and three stores in Fenton.

Signs of a meth lab:
Coffee filters/grinders
Camp fuel
Hot plates
Rubber gloves
Starting fuel
Acetone
Lithium Batteries
Plastic Tubing
Funnels

Symptoms of Meth:
Depression
Hallucinations
Violent mood chances
Paranoia
Seeing ‘crank bugs’ and trying to dig them out of the skin
Rotten teeth
Light and sound sensitivity

CPA Schedule:

Sept. 1: Drug and K-9 Units

Sept 8: Crimes Against Persons

Sept 15: Neighborhood Watch Picnic

Sept 22: Bomb and Arson Unit and Tactical Operations (SWAT Team)

Sept. 29: Field trip to the Police Academy

Oct 6: Crime Lab

Oct 13: Sex Offender and Crime Scene Units

Oct 20: Graduation