Homeless in Arizona

I suspect the probability of a terrorist bomb attack on the Valley Metro buses or light rail is a million, billion times less then the probability of somebody being robbed, mugged or having their purse snatched.

If the cops were going to patrol the Valley Metro buses and light rail, they probably should be undercover cops looking for muggers, pickpockets and purse snatchers, not cops with bomb sniffing dogs.

But of course hunting down real criminals like robbers, muggers and purse snatchers is dangerous and we wouldn't want to the Phoenix Police to risk their lives protecting us from real criminals would we?

On the other hand, I wonder if they are drug dogs, rather then bomb dogs. You know drug dogs to bust people who commit the victimless crime of smoking marijuana???

Source

4-legged detectives patrolling Phoenix events, public transit to deter bomb attacks

Claire M Roney, The Republic | azcentral.com 3:12 p.m. MST June 22, 2016

You may have noticed a few four-legged riders on Valley Metro public transit and at Phoenix events. They're not just headed to work; they are at work as highly trained explosives detectives.

Their mission is to be highly visible, proactive deterrents to bombing incidents in and around the transit system and in the greater Phoenix area.

The Phoenix Police Department, Transit Security Administration, the Phoenix Transit Department and Valley Metro teamed up to create the Transit Detection K-9 Program, according to a Phoenix police statement.

“Citizens can expect to see our K-9s in K-9 team uniforms out on mass-transit systems, which include our buses, our light rails, and all of our major infrastructures as well as in the downtown area and at large events and gatherings,” Phoenix police Sgt. Bryan Hanania, the unit supervisor, said Wednesday at a news conference explaining the program.

He described their presence as another level of protection.

The K-9s are owned by TSA, but the dogs' handlers are Phoenix police officers. The officers and the K-9s received extensive out-of-state training before starting patrols.

Wagging tails on the light rail

Two K-9s and their officer partners were introduced to the public at Wednesday's event, near the Van Buren Street and Central Avenue light-rail station in downtown Phoenix. The department also has a third dog and handler.

Gata, a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois, and Baron, a 2-year-old German shorthaired pointer, wagged their tails and showed off their skills, patrolling and conducting searches on command. Gata’s handler is Officer Mark O'Connell, and Baron's handler is Officer Joe Congero.

O’Connell said he had always wanted to be a K-9 handler.

O’Connell spent 10 weeks in San Antonio training every day with Gata and going through assessments before he could return to Phoenix with his new partner.

“She’s doing awesome,” O’Connell said in reference to Gata.

The units have made public appearances since May, with the dogs getting used to the area and acclimating to the heat.

Hanania said the reviews by people the dogs have met at events have been overwhelmingly positive.