To the delight of Carteret Elementary School students, Bloomfield High School graduate, Detective Michael Costantino, of the Orange Police Department, brought to the assembly his partner, a drug-sniffing dog named Taz.
“He’s a German shepherd from Slovakia,” the officer told the kids seated on the gym floor. “He’s a sable dog with a black coat from a family of working dogs.”
The dog wore three collars: a regular day collar, a sturdy tracking one for when he’s leashed and pulling hard, hot on a trail, and an electric collar. When dog and man are in a dangerous situation, Costantino will “tap” the electric collar and Taz will not move.
The dog was incredibly obedient. A yellow ball on a string was held up
“This is his paycheck,” the officer said, “when I say ‘free.’”
The dog lunged for the ball and the children squealed. A child wanted to know how Taz kept people safe.
“He finds drugs, weapons and people.” Constantino explained. “You smell a cheeseburger? Taz can smell the meat, the cheese, the lettuce. He smells all the individual foods. He can find a nickel in a forest. We always, always, always practice. His nose is probable cause.”
Taz is five-years-old and began training at two. Six months of training is reinforced daily. He lives with Constantino who said around the house, the dog can be a little clumsy. But when the officer puts on his uniform, he’s a different dog. The kids learned when Taz is sniffing around a car that’s been stopped, if he sits down, the police have the probable cause that they need to search the car.
The officer is the son of Patricia Constantino, a Carteret paraprofessional. He attended Fairview Elementary School and his parents live in Bloomfield.
“There’s a bunch of different jobs in policing,” Costantino said. “There’s traffic, patrol and detective work. We also have plain-clothes police. Normally, we wear jeans and we’re looking for drugs and gang members. We also work with the SWAT team.”
He asked for five volunteers to be trained. Five kids got up and did five pushups, jumping jacks, squats, situps and jogged in place. Their classmates applauded.
“Who knows anything about drugs?” Constantino asked.
Some children raised their hands.
“OK,” the officer continued, “what’s the toughest subject you take?”
He did not wait for an answer.
“But you have a brain,” he said. “Drugs will make your brain get stuck at one point. That’s why we’re out on the street. Drugs can really stop your life.”
He had another question.
“What do you know about gangs?” he said. “It’s the bully in class. They’ll tell you to hold some drugs and you won’t get in trouble. They make you feel you’re part of the group, but they’re just using you. Is that fair?”
Costantino next asked if anyone knew what a K-9 was.
“It’s a dog that sniffs out things,” he said. “Why are they called K-9s?”
He pointed to his teeth.
“It’s because of your canine teeth,” he said. “Dogs have big canines.”
“What type of dog can be a canine?” he asked. “Any dog can be a canine. It can be a chihuahua.”
The kids liked that and laughed.
“But it has to have the right attitude,” he said. “And it needs energy.”
Taz and Costantino attended the police academy together. “He’s a partner,” the officer explained. “I respect him and he respects me.”
Sgt. Stubby was the most decorated dog in World War II, the kids learned. He ran across enemy lines delivering messages.
They also learned that there are several K-9 police duties and training. Some K-9 sniff out explosives, others track people and others are used for apprehensions.
These dogs are trained to bite and hold a suspect without hurting them.
“K-9s are not just dogs to us,” Constantino said. “Sometimes they’re used in dangerous situations. They sometimes get impaired or killed on duty.”
Constantino said when he and Taz find drugs, they also find guns.
“And many times you find dirty money,”’ he said, “bad money.”
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