National Academies Press: OpenBook

K9 Units in Public Transportation: A Guide for Decision Makers (2002)

Chapter: Appendix B - Structured Interview Guide

« Previous: Appendix A - List of Interviews
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Structured Interview Guide." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2002. K9 Units in Public Transportation: A Guide for Decision Makers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24721.
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Structured Interview Guide." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2002. K9 Units in Public Transportation: A Guide for Decision Makers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24721.
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Structured Interview Guide." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2002. K9 Units in Public Transportation: A Guide for Decision Makers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24721.
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Structured Interview Guide." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2002. K9 Units in Public Transportation: A Guide for Decision Makers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24721.
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79 APPENDIX B: STRUCTURED INTERVIEW GUIDE QUESTION RESPONSE HISTORY AND BACKGROUND 1. How was your K9 unit started? In what year? 2. Where is the K9 unit located within the transit police department? 3. Please describe your department’s command structure for how the K9 unit is managed. 4. Does the K9 unit have a philosophy or mission statement? 5. How many officers and other personnel are assigned to the K9 unit? 6. Does your unit use specialists or contractors? If so, in what capacity? 7. What qualifications does your unit require for handlers, trainers, and supervisors? 9. What characteristics do you look for – in addition to basic qualifications – for an effective handler in the transit environment? 8. Does your unit provide transit police management and transit top management with “familiarization” training regarding the capabilities of the K9 unit? 10. How many K9s does your unit currently deploy? 11. If specialty or dual use dogs are used, please describe their assignments. 12. How is deploying a K9 unit in the transit environment different from deploying a K9 unit in municipal law enforcement? 13. Please describe your unit’s program for ensuring the safety of the K9 team in the transit environment. 14. Does your unit ever muzzle the dogs? FUNCTIONS PERFORMED BY K9 UNIT 15. What functions does the K9 unit perform? BREEDS AND DOG SELECTION 16. What breeds does your department use for the K9 unit? 17. If specialty or dual use dogs are used, what breeds does your unit prefer? For what specific functions? 18. Do you have any special relationships with the other law enforcement agencies in your jurisdiction regarding the sharing of K9 resources?

80 QUESTION RESPONSE 19. Where does your unit obtain its dogs? 20. Do you obtain dogs that are trained in patrol “basics” or do you begin with “green” dogs? Please describe. 21(a). Does the trainer or canine supervisor select the dogs? 21(b). Does a contractor or other specialist perform this function? 21(c). Does the handler or handler-candidate play any role in selecting the dog? 22. How old are the dogs when you purchase/receive them? 23. Have you found a particular age or “background” makes the K9 better suited for work in the transit environment? 24. What traits does your unit look for in a dog to be deployed in the transit environment? 25. Do you have a set of evaluation criteria or “tests” that you perform to assess dog candidates? Please describe. BRINGING ON A NEW HANDLER AND SERVICE DOG 26. Are handlers responsible for the care and housing of their dogs when they are not in service? If yes, please describe your department’s policy. 27. Do you have a pre-established performance standard for the dog/handler team? 28. Do you use this standard to evaluate and certify K9 team eligibility and performance? 29. Please provide a general overview of the process your agency uses to bring a new dog and new handler into service. 30. What facilities does your agency have to support basic and in-service training? 31. What is your agency’s policy regarding in-service training? 32. Do you allow your K9 teams to participate in competitions, trials, and other certification programs? 33. What is your unit’s policy regarding performance evaluation and recertification? 34. How are evaluations/certifications conducted? CONTENT OF TRAINING 35. What requirements does your unit have for basic training? 36. How long is your basic training course for a new dog/handler team? 37. Please describe handler role during basic training. 38. If your unit does not perform basic training, or only performs part of the basic training, please describe how vendors or local law enforcement support this function for your department. 39. IF APPLICABLE: What are the differences between patrol

81 QUESTION RESPONSE basic training and specialty basic training? 40. Does your basic training program include an initial performance evaluation and certification? 41. How does your unit perform in-service training? DISPATCH POLICY AND SCHEDULE 42. Are your K9 units deployed for call-outs and team assignments? Only call-outs? Only assignments? 43. Please provide examples of each type of deployment. 44. Do your K9 teams respond to calls outside the system? Does response to these calls require special approval? 45. Do your K9 teams respond to requests for demonstrations? 46. Please describe your agency’s policy for scheduling K9 teams. VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT 47. Does your department provide a vehicle for the K9 handler/dog team? Please describe the vehicle’s special features. 48. What other equipment does your department provide for the K9 handler/dog? 49. Does your agency have a policy regarding use and maintenance of this equipment? 50. Does your agency compensate its officers for extra time worked in the unit? 51. Does your agency compensate its officers for extra expenses associated with the care and maintenance of the K9? REPORTING RESPONSIBILITIES 52. What reporting requirements do you have for your teams? BITE POLICY 53. What is your unit’s policy on canine bites? RECOMMENDATIONS 54. What recommendations would you provide for a transit agency just starting a K9 unit?

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TRB's Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Report 86: Public Transportation Security, Volume 2: K9 Units in Public Transportation: A Guide for Decision Makers offers information on current K9 deployment practices, K9 program establishment issues, and explosives detection.

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