lets-tracking certification requirements

CANINE FELONY TRACKING
CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

TRACKING CERTIFICATION - DEFINED:
The demonstration of the Tracking Team’s ability to track a specific human scent, over various available terrains, to the satisfaction of the Certification Official(s).

HANDLER: Must be a law enforcement officer or correctional officer of a federal, state, county or local agency, or approved volunteer associates, AND must have completed 40 hours of LETS training.

CANINE: Must have completed 40 hours of LETS training with the assigned handler. NOTE: If handler and canine change and are no longer a “team” the certification is null and void.

TEAM: The handler and canine must pass the LETS Basic Obedience Skills Test to the satisfaction of the Certification Official(s). The Certifying Official(s) decision will be final.

The objective of the skills test(s) is for the Canine Team to demonstrate their ability to follow scent tracks / trails laid by Track Layers over the available terrain. Each track shall be established and approved by the Certification Official(s) conducting the certification. Scenarios shall be made as “realistic” as possible.

A minimum of three tracks shall be required, with no maximum established by this section. Available resources, and the constraints of a 40-hour LETS seminar, will control the total amount of tracks worked. Successful completion for certification will require that 80% of all tracks tested on shall be successfully completed, with 3 of those tracks successfully completed tracks meeting the minimum requirements, as described below:

Description of track requirements:

Track # 1: This track shall be over a contaminated area such as a public park, schoolyard, etc. This track shall also be over average height grass and at some point go into, or through, a wooded area. The Certification Official (s) shall use a distance of approximately one thousand (1,000) feet as a guideline, with a minimum of 2 turns on the track. An average time of one (1) hour shall be established as the age of the track.
Track # 2: This track shall be conducted in an urban environment (hard surface). The Certification Official (s) shall use a distance of approximately three fourths (3/4 of a mile) as a guideline with a minimum of four (4) turns on the track. An average time of one (1) hour shall also be established as the age for this track.
Track # 3: This track shall be the same (similar) as an either a #1 or #2 track; given to the team according to the environment the team may commonly work. The Certification Official shall use typically encountered scenarios as the guidelines for establishing the requirements of the #3 track

Additional qualifiers: At no time will any natural distractions (animals, people, vehicle, etc.) be considered a justifiable reason for the handler to terminate any of the above tracks “for cause,” and nullify the track to avoid the failure of a test.

A minimum of one (1) observer shall accompany the canine team to assist in watching for traffic, and for general safety.

If forcible apprehension methods are to be used at the end of the track, all safety and protective gear shall be pre-positioned at the end of the track along with a safety marker (ribbon or marking tape).

NOTE: Regardless of the circumstances of any track attempted, it shall be the sole responsibility of the handler to maintain control of the canine at all times during the working of the track, including the termination (completion) of a track in the vicinity of the tracklayer.

A pre-scent may be provided by the tracklayer(s) if deemed appropriate and directed by the certification Official(s).

Objects may be dropped exactly on the trail to simulate evidence and are to be returned to the Certification Official(s) if located. The failure to find such articles shall not be utilized as the sole basis to fail a team during a tracking test

A Certification sheet will be provided to each handler. Upon completion of an exercise, the instructor of the exercise shall “initial” the certification sheet, indicating the results of the exercise.

RE-CERTIFICATION - DEFINED: For re-certification of any certified team, within the 12 month period from previous certification, the team shall be required to attend an 8 hour re-certification class that will consist of field-tests to demonstrate the continuing proficiency of the team, to the satisfaction of the certification official(s). Testing may also include written tests to determine the knowledge of the handler in the specific discipline being tested.

A “TRACKING CERTIFICATION SHEET” will be completed and marked “re-certification” by the certifying official and processed according to policy.