2011 Annual Report final - City of Pittsburgh

Ignition Interlock ClassIn June and October of 2011, the Training Academy sponsored the PA DUI Association class “IgnitionInterlock”. This class instructed officers in the use and law pertaining to these devices.Motorcycle Safety, Vehicle Code Enforcement, and DUI Detection Training for Law Enforcement classIn October of 2011, the Training Academy sponsored the PA DUI Association class “Motorcycle Safety,Vehicle Code Enforcement, and DUI Detection Training for Law Enforcement”. This class instructedofficers in the laws pertaining to motorcycles and how to recognize people that may be riding impaired.New Radio TrainingThe Bureau of Police purchased 300 Motorola portable radios that were issued to individual officers.Officers were selected and attended a two-hour training session on the use and care of this equipment.Canine Training SchoolThe Canine Training School supports the twenty-two Pittsburgh Bureau of Police K-9 teams, hosts theRegion 13 K-9 program and offers initial and in-service K-9 training to surrounding law enforcementagencies.In 2011, the school conducted over 800 in-service training sessions and conducted an early summerfourteen-week initial training classes graduating 2 new dog teams for Region 13. Both dogs weretrained for Patrol/Explosive detection. During in-service training, which is conducted twice per month(national standard), teams are continuously trained and monitored to ensure maximum proficiency in thefollowing tasks: obedience/agility, substance detection, apprehension and tracking. All in-service dogteams were maintenance trained to include the Hold & Bark method of suspect apprehension. Formalyearly certifications were conducted in the fall of 2011 covering detection, apprehension, obedience andagility.The Explosive & Gun dog detection programs were combined in late 2010; the completed transitiontook place in the first quarter of 2011. This adjustment enhanced the number of dogs capable of locatingfirearms and explosives (gun dogs are now capable of locating explosives and explosive dogs are nowcapable of locating guns).Hosting and facilitating the Region 13 K-9 Explosive Detection Program (12 dual purpose dog teams)has regionalized a valued resource making explosive detection canines available throughoutSouthwestern Pennsylvania. Eight participating agencies were supported by the training school in 2011.Two Region 13 dogs were trained in 2011.In a tradition that dates back to the beginning of our program in 1950’s, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Policecontinues to strengthen law enforcement partnerships in the Pittsburgh area by offering our expertise incanine training. In 2011 we offered training assistance (in-service) to 12 Dog Teams from outsideagencies.31