DENVER - Denver Public Schools has launched a pilot program, using weapon detecting dogs as a safety tool for large district events.
Vivian, the black labrador, was one of several K-9s working the homecoming game at All-City Stadium Friday night. At 8-years old she's already worked a few Super Bowls, major league baseball games, concerts and is now helping DPS.
"Vivian is imprinted on 29 different explosive odors and firearms, gunshot residue, ammunition that type of stuff. She's pretty good at identifying those things just with the nose," said her handler Bob Lovelace with K2 K9 Solutions.
The dogs are being used as a pilot program.
"We're always looking at ways to ensure our schools, our events are safe and welcoming," said Greg Cazzell, Chief of Climate and Safety for DPS.
Some locations of big district events, like All-City, do have metal detectors too.
"The metal detectors can be a little bit more intrusive to people than what the dogs are. We specifically use Labradors and a few a handful of German shorthair pointers, because they tend to be pretty friendly, pretty happy," said Lovelace.
The dogs will work all large district events with big crowds until the end of the first semester. The pilot cost around $160,000 and feedback from community members at the events will be a strong indication of whether the district will extend the program.
In the last three weeks since the pilot launched, the dogs have not detected a weapon. Cazzell said that's actually the point.
"We don't know what we have prevented from coming in. So again, that is one of the benefits that we believe: it's proactive preventative," he said.
For Lovelace, it's a full circle moment.
"I was actually a first responder to Columbine, and had a son that went there," he said, "We responded after the tragedy, and now I get the opportunity to be out here with Vivian trying to prevent that from happening in the first place."
