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Police, K-9 do bomb searches
On a recent Tuesday, Virginia State Trooper David Paschal and his bomb dog Bear spent the day sniffing around self-storage facilities in Fauquier County.“We went to four storage facilities, and it was a seven-hour day [for us],” said Paschal, who is assigned to the Area 12 Office in Warrenton.
Another handler and his explosives dog and a state police bomb tech accompanied Paschal and Bear on their rounds.
The handlers “run the dogs” around the outside of the buildings and individual storage units, and they will “alert” or engage in a specified behavior if they find any odors indicating the presence of explosives.
“We bring the bomb techs along just in case a dog does [find something illegal],” Paschal explained.
Conducting the searches is an exhaustive process, since some of the facilities here have as many as 500 units, he said. In all, there are 12 to 15 public storage facilities in Fauquier County.
“We contact each storage facility and ask [the owner or manager] if they would like us to come by. So far everyone has said yes,” Paschal said.
Assuming that everyone wants an inspection, getting to all of them will take some time, according to Paschal.
The state police in Division II have only three bomb dogs. Including Fauquier and Rappahannock, there are 13 counties within the division.
Although thorough assessments are time consuming, they are worthwhile, Paschal said.
“The program came about after [federal authorities] found stolen explosives in public storage facilities several years ago,” he recalled.
Heightened security concerns following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 prompted authorities in this area to conduct searches of public storage facilities and state police have been doing them for the past few years, the trooper added.
Sgt. Charlie Crummett, who is also assigned to the Area 12 Office said dogs have alerted their handlers to suspicious scents while searching public storage facilities in the past, but did not find explosives.
Anyone who owns or operates a storage facility and would like to have a search conducted may contact Paschal through the Area 12 Office in Warrenton. The number is (540) 347-6425.
E-mail the reporter: abogdanovic@timespapers.com
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