New patrol pup

Wyoming Highway Patrol (WHP) Trooper Dave Chatfield recently received Buster, a new K-9 dog trained for drug detection.

Chatfield, who has lived in Saratoga for six years, is based out of the Elk Mountain WHP station as a K-9 unit along with his service dog. Chatfield has been with the WHP for almost 21 years.

Buster is Chatfield's third K-9 service dog and replaces Chatfield's last dog, Robbie, who was killed during a traffic stop on Interstate 80. An investigation into the accident that killed Robbie found no error in the trooper's actions.

Chatfield was notified in late November that there was a new K-9 dog available and he was given Buster, a Springer Spaniel.

Buster was purchased through a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program grant. The HIDTA program was created as part of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 and the grant program is administered by the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Carbon County, Wyo. is part of the Rocky Mountain HIDTA.

Buster was trained for drug detection by Battle Born K9, a police service dog training company based outside of Las Vegas, Nev. Most of the WHP's dogs are trained for drug detection, currently one dog based out of Cheyenne is trained for bomb detection.

Chatfield will work with the dog for a couple of weeks, and then complete a week-long certification program near Rock Springs. Certification will allow Buster to start officially working for the WHP.

"It's a busy assignment." Chatfield said during his time with his first K-9 dog he was called out three or four times a week on his days off to use the dog.

Chatfield's first K-9 dog was a black lab that he worked with for 10 years. The K-9 dogs live with their handlers and Buster is already living at Chatfield's home.

"They definitely get used a lot," Chatfield said of the K-9 dogs, noting that there is significant drug transportation on Interstate 80. He said they make a number of drug arrests on the highway and while there have been seizures of hundreds of pounds of marijuana the average amount of marijuana seized has gone down as legalization in other states has made the drug more readily available.

Robbie was killed during a traffic stop where drugs were found in a vehicle with six occupants.

Chatfield had gotten Robbie, a Springer Spaniel, in July. The dog had performed well in training but during use in the field Robbie exhibited increasing fear around people according to Chatfield.

During a late-October traffic stop on Interstate 80 Chatfield found marijuana in the car loaded with six people. Robbie searched the vehicle for more drugs.

As Chatfield was getting Robbie out of the car, Robbie bolted away from the group of people onto the interstate where he was hit by a passing semi.

Dogs are typically kept on the leash during highway patrols, but they are taken off leash when they search inside vehicles.

The truck that killed Robbie had moved into the left lane as required by law.

Be aware that Wyoming state law requires that "When driving on an interstate highway or other highway with two (2) or more lanes traveling in the direction of the emergency vehicle, shall merge into the lane farthest from the emergency vehicle, except when otherwise directed by a police officer;" and "When driving on a two (2) lane road, shall slow to a speed that is twenty (20) miles per hour less than the posted speed limit, except when otherwise directed by a police officer."