Carteret, NJ – Mayor Daniel J. Reiman and Councilwoman Susan Naples announced the addition of a K9 narcotics unit to the Carteret Police Department. “The K9 narcotics unit was necessary step to help combat the heroine epidemic that is affecting the entire nation,” said Mayor Reiman. “We have to stop the proliferation of narcotics into our communities and this is just one more tool we are providing our officers in that fight.”
Officer Antonio Dominguez and Yukon, a three year old German Shephard, were certified by the Middlesex County Sheriff’s department as a narcotics unit. The officer was trained to interpret behavior changes in Yukon when he recognizes the scent of various kinds of narcotics, paraphernalia and drug residue on currency. The officer and the dog are certified as a team and if for whatever reason Officer Dominguez left the Carteret Police Department a new officer would have to attend the same training. Yukon is trained to recognize the scents of Marijuana, cocaine, crack-cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and methamphetamines.
“We are happy to add Yukon to the Carteret Police Department and look forward to a proactive K9 unit,” said Reiman.
A Carteret Police Department vehicle was retrofitted with a cage for the safe transport of the dog throughout the Borough. The vehicle is fitted with a temperature sensor to regulate the vehicle’s temperature during warm and cold weather. The cost associated with retrofitting the car was approximately $4,150 dollars. The dog’s cost was a $500 donation to the seeing-eye dog program. The dog resides with the officer while not on duty and the officer has the ability to acquire Yukon if he leaves the Carteret Police Department or when Yukon is retired.
