Rowan K-9 team helps keep campus safe one sniff at a time

The Rowan University police department is going to the dogs.

Well, maybe just dog.

Brix, a black and brown 83-pound German Shepherd dog, has begun making the rounds with his partner, Patrolman Thomas Redmen.

The pair patrol campus in a special squad car tricked out with the kind of gee-whiz gadgetry that could make Batman green with envy. In addition to a full complement of on-board computers, the car features K-9 decals on the roof and sides, dark tinted windows, custom vent system, rubberized aluminum dog platform where the back seat used to be, even a computer-controlled monitor that automatically lowers the windows if the temperature inside rises too high between calls.

Brix, who is not an official police spokesman, sat idly during a recent interview and let his partner do the talking.

"Brix is 18 months old, he came to us from the Czech Republic and his specialty is bomb sniffing," Redmen said.

While police dogs can be trained for a myriad of duties, from tracking suspects to apprehension, their core training generally falls into one of two categories - drug or bomb detection, Redmen said.

For public safety purposes, especially in a large, populous setting like a university, police departments often opt for bomb sniffing dogs but the training is rigorous, he said.

"Brix and I were certified in a 10-week, 400-hour bomb sniffing course," he said. "He's trained to detect 22 explosive materials, from C-4 (a military-grade plastic explosive) to black powder."

Redmen said the course also taught Brix to detect TATP, an unstable explosive made from common hardware store goods, a variation of which was used in the 2005 London transit bombings that killed 52 people and injured hundreds of others. The dog's hypersensitive nose can detect flares in a car trunk, firecrackers in a pocket, even chemicals used in video production.

In a crisis, he said, Brix could detect explosives in a vehicle, on a person, or hidden in the bowels of a building.

No imminent danger

Redmen, who joined the Rowan police force in 1995, said Brix was not acquired because of any imminent threat of attack.

Still, he said, bomb scares, especially in high schools, are common events and every one must be checked out. If there is a scare anywhere in Gloucester County, Brix is trained and available to assist, he said.

"It's something you don't necessarily want to think about and definitely don't want to dwell on but it's better to have an asset and not need it than to need it and not have it," he said.

Reed Layton, assistant director of public safety and a retired Glassboro K-9 officer, said Rowan's police department might be the only college or university department in the state with its own K-9 patrol team. The department has 17 full-time police officers, 22 security guards, and other specialized units including investigations, crime prevention, emergency response and a bike patrol.

Regarding Brix, the latest addition, Layton said he falls into the category of vigilance and precaution.

"He's a deterrent," he said. "On the other hand, if something happens, we're prepared."

Not a house pet

The officers said Brix has a friendly disposition and was chosen specifically for his ability to mesh well with a campus community. They said if students, staff or visitors want to pet the dog, they may, but never through the window of the patrol car and only with his handler's permission.

Redmen, who takes Brix home at night, said the dog is a blast to work with.

"Not only do I have a front row seat in life but a best friend to share it with," he said.

Still, he said, he never loses sight as to why Brix came to Rowan in the first place.

"He is a resource," Redmen said, "a resource that can potentially save hundreds of lives."