BY GARY THOMAS

A car speeds, through a state park. A conservation police vehicle takes off in dogged pursuit, eventually pulling the speeder over. Hank and Jack, two officers, exit their vehicle and approach the car. Within minutes Jack has determined this will be more than just a routine speeding ticket. The car contains drugs and alcohol and most of the passengers are minors.

The driver receives a citation for driving under the influence, for giving alcohol to minors, for illegal transportation, plus for the illigal possession of cocaine and drug apparatus. Altogether, officers write 16 tickets and issue two felony citations. And the credit goes to Jack, the Department of National resources' newest "officer."

Jack is a black Labrador dog trained to find drugs. He can go places other CPOs cannot go, and can truly sniff out crime. His partner is Robert "Hank" Frazier, a conservation police officer, in District 5 (Bureau, DeKalb, LaSalle, Lee and Bureau counties).

Jack was a gift to the DNR from Mike James, the LaSalle County States Attorney. It was his way of showing his appreciation for the work done by CPOs in his county.

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Because of the expense of the 90-day drug training program, Jack cost about $5,000. Add to that a backseat cage and a hot dog system (a thermostat in the police car that automatically honks the horn and lowers the windows if the interior reaches high temperatures), and the price is closer to $7,000.

But Jack also is an investment. Every time a CPO makes an arrest, about 60 percent of the fine goes to the county in which the violation occurred. And from that standpoint Jack just might be worth his weight in gold.

"Buying the dog for us was Mr. James' way of thanking us for the work we do in LaSalle County," Frazier says. "In the past, we've utilized the Utica Police Department dog and made numerous drug arrests. This just makes it easier for us. The States Attorney here has been very generous, purchasing a boat and ATV, in-car video cameras and other equipment for us."

But in a larger sense, Frazier points out that Jack will pay for himself in a matter of a month or two. "He's only been working since mid-February, but he has been responsible for 35 tickets during the first 10 shifts he has worked, including two felony arrests," he says.

Jack is trained to sniff out five drugs: methamphetamines, powdered cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin and marijuana. He's so sensitive that he can hit on minute amounts of marijuana inside a car as he walks around it.

Frazier explained that Jack was trained by the ball drive method. The dog is bred to be hyperactive and to always want to play with its toys. In this case, Jack's toy is

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either a tennis ball or a piece of taped up rope. The dog is not actually searching for drugs, but working for the reward of getting to play with his toy when he finds drugs. This is just a big game to Jack. He's in it for the fun.

"When I stop a vehicle and have reason to believe it may contain drugs, I do a walk-around the car to see if there are drugs inside," Frazier says. "If any one of the drugs is inside the vehicle, the dog will become aggressive and begin scratching at the door closest to where the drug is located. If Jack scratches, that's probable cause and we can then search the vehicle. And Jack gets to play with his toy."

It's not so much fun for those who get caught. If you carry drug paraphernalia into a state park, the minimum fine is statutorily set at $750, and it can be much higher.

Captain Jim Thomas, region one commander for DNR's conservation police, was one of the bigger proponents for getting the drug dog for park work, but he points out that drug enforcement is not his unit's primary mission.

"We are not a drug enforcement office," Thomas says. "However, we are dedicated to providing visitors to our state parks and waterways with a safe, drug-free environment to enjoy the natural resources of the state. Jack will help us achieve this goal and also can be used to find lost or missing persons."

Yep, Jack is also a tracking dog. If a youngster wanders away from his family. Jack will be called in to help locate the lost child. But whereas Jack is a scratcher when he's looking for drugs, he's a sitter when he's on the trail.

"Jack has been taught to find items with human scent on them," Frazier says. "If you pick up a rock and drop it, he can detect your scent on it. He'll go to the item and sit down beside it. And for finding that item, I reward him by letting him play with his toy. If we have an item of clothing from a lost child, we can send Jack looking for the youngster."

Look for Jack on the waterways this summer, too.

"We're just as dedicated to keeping drugs off our waterways as we are to keeping them out of our parks," Frazier says. "If we pull alongside of a boat, we'll do it from the downwind side, and Jack will know if there are drugs aboard."

For his protection, Jack is poison proofed. He won't take food or treats from anyone other than Frazier. In fact, he won't even eat except from his own bowl. You can put a steak in front of Jack and he'll just look at it.

If all this sounds impressive, it's even more so when you realize that Jack is only 14 months old-just barely an adult dog. And as good as he is, he won't hit his prime for another two or three years and should be effective in drug enforcement until he's about 10 years of age.

"Best of all. Jack is not prejudiced," Frazier says. "He doesn't know how to lie. He doesn't know the difference between black and white or male and female. He just wants to find drugs. He just wants to play."

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