Borough Council spars over use of Gunner, a drug-sniffing canine that has not been used since the mayor suspended the program more than a year ago.
By: Cynthia Williamson
NEW HOPE Borough Council President Richard Hirschfield’s warning he would not allow discussion on a "contentious issue" to get out of hand is like trying to teach old dogs new tricks.
His statement was followed by close to two hours of public wrangling, terse exchanges, all which led to the council’s 4-3 vote to reinstate the borough’s drug dog program.
Council members Sandra Trappen, Geri Delevich and Robert Gerenser were appointed to a committee charged with drafting a set of standard operating procedures for the Police Department’s new canine unit.
First, the committee has 45 days to negotiate terms with the police union, which has stated it would file a grievance if a drug dog program is instituted outside the collective bargaining process.
The trio and Councilman Bert Johnson voted in favor of the measure with Mr. Hirschfield, Council President Sharyn Keiser and Councilman Jake Fell casting dissenting votes.
The debate over the borough’s use of a dog to ferret out illicit narcotics in the 1-square-mile town and its school has been ongoing for more than a year.
Depending on who is asked, the council entered into an agreement more than a year ago with the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office and New Hope Police Cpl. Frank DeLuca to train Gunner, a Chesapeake Bay retriever owned by the officer, to search for drugs.
Mr. Hirschfield claims the agreement isn’t valid because it was never signed by the council president.
Regardless, Mayor Laurence Keller suspended the program more than a year ago after Mr. DeLuca accumulated about 40 hours in overtime during the first two weeks of a 10-week training course he attended with the dog.
Though Mr. DeLuca was allowed to complete the training and graduated in June 2000, the program was never instituted because borough officials said they needed to evaluate such issues as cost, liability and necessity before making a decision.
Some expenses associated with having a drug dog in the department including monthly one-day training sessions would be paid from the Bucks County drug forfeiture fund. Under the agreement, the dog and its handler also could be used by other area departments.
Mr. DeLuca maintains he would pay for all other expenses associated with the dog and has arrangements with a veterinarian and local pet shop to supply free services for the canine.
But Mr. Keller said there is nothing to prevent Mr. DeLuca or anyone else trained to handle the dog from making future financial claims against the borough.
Mr. Hirschfield said he "attempted" to negotiate a lease agreement with Mr. DeLuca to "mitigate liability" issues that may arise over use of the dog, but he said the officer did not sign the document.
"If I felt a drug dog was going to make a difference, I’d be all for it," Mr. Hirschfield said. "I see the dog as a big potential liability."
Mr. Keller said manpower also is an issue.
"We don’t have the manpower to replace Frank DeLuca if he’s needed outside New Hope," he said, citing the department’s small staff of six full-time officers.
In the past year, there was only one occasion when the New Hope department needed a drug dog, he said.
Bristol Township Police Lt. John Godzieba, who trained Gunner and owns one of about seven drug dogs in Bucks County, said it’s a "very good asset to have."
"We’re called on by other departments quite frequently to help departments that don’t have one," he said, adding Bristol’s drug dogs are "in demand" two to three days a week.
City of Philadelphia Police Department Capt. Alan Kurtz, who has headed its canine unit for seven years, told the council a drug dog "in itself is not New Hope’s answer to solving a drug problem."
"If you really think you have an identifiable problem, there needs to be education and intelligence," he said. "I think a drug dog is a luxury New Hope can’t afford."
Borough Solicitor Colin Jenei said the borough could find itself in a legal jam if the dog is used improperly in drug searches and seizures.
"It should only be used when there is already probable cause, such as the execution of a search warrant," Mr. Jenei said. "It shouldn’t be used for fishing expeditions."
Ms. Delevich said she was voting for the drug dog program because the borough "made a commitment, and I feel obligated to uphold our end."
Mr. Johnson agreed, underscoring the program was endorsed by former Police Chief Jerry Speziale, who resigned last September.
"I contacted him, and he said he’d write a letter if I wanted him to," Mr. Johnson said.
Councilwoman Sandra Trappen said she would be "disgusted and appalled" if the council did not reinstate the drug dog, calling the mayor Snow White and council members the Seven Dwarfs in La-La Land.
Mr. DeLuca already owns three dogs and has told the council he never would have purchased Gunner for $600 if he had known it was going to renege on the agreement.
Ms. Keiser challenged the officer’s claim, saying he owned the dog before the council reached a decision about the program.

