Business Spotlight: Old Dog, New Tricks

It takes Nitro less than a minute to sniff out a minuscule amount of C4 explosive hidden in a computer bag.

The three-year old Belgian Malinois trained to detect explosive odors works with handler Tim Brenner at Southern Missouri Judicial Services LLC. The dog hones his skills through daily explosive-detection practice with Brenner and his wife, Brandy, who started the security, investigations and K-9 service company in 2009.

The business was a natural fit for Brenner.

Law enforcement and public safety were a constant in Brenner’s life growing up after he started work at the Parsons, Kan., Fire Department at the age of 14.

Brenner was no stranger to working with dogs either, growing up around his grandfather, a police officer and firefighter who also founded a Kansas humane society.

Brenner began training his own German shepherd for search and rescue work during his time with the Barry County Sheriff’s Department and developed the talent during the next 12 years as a deputy.

Brenner’s career change to work as a railroad conductor was short-lived as the recession brought the industry to a halt. It was then he decided to fall back on his passion for law enforcement.

“I took a chance and started my own business,” Brenner says, noting the recession wasn’t a factor in the security industry as crime tends to increase as the economy dims. Also providing court monitoring services, law enforcement and civilian training, security and process serving, SMoJS brought in $650,000 in 2013 revenue.

New tricks
While Brenner has a background in dog training, he didn’t add the service to SMoJS until last year. His two dogs – with a third narcotic dog currently in training – are certified by the North American Police Work Dog Association through a rigorous two-day test.

Similar to Nitro, 3-year old Belgian Malinois Stryker has been trained to detect ignitable liquids used to set fires.

Anyone walking into the 11,000-square-foot SMoJS building is met with bulletproof doors and glass. The north-side facility includes a fingerprint area and simulator room, but Nitro and Stryker only care about the training gym.

Nitro searches luggage, concrete blocks and wood flooring for explosives and Stryker must detect ignitable liquids in piles of burnt rubble.

While a Belgian Malinois may appear similar in appearance to a German shepherd, Brenner says the dogs have distinct advantages in his industry.
 
“Cars are getting smaller and German shepherds are so big. It was like shoving a bear in the back of a Prius,” he said of the 110-pound dogs. “Mals are only about 60 pounds. They are just as agile and energetic and I didn’t lose any ability.”

Brenner’s previous dogs – Rentee and Kilo, also certified – netted numerous drug busts including a combined 1,000 pounds of marijuana, 202 kilos of cocaine, 515 grams of methamphetamine and $100,000 in drug-related cash.

Mission investigation
Still a Barry County commissioned deputy, Brenner started SMoJS with a focus on bail bonds, but now says various investigations such as fire, theft and background checks comprise the majority of his work.  

Brenner declined to disclose private company clients, citing confidentially and a recent increase in area private investigation firms. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of private investigators is projected to grow 11 percent between now and 2022.

Besides working with private companies for services such as surveillance on workers’ compensation claims, SMoJS often works with government entities providing such services as executive protection to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and area sheriff’s departments on prisoner extraditions.

With the only certified bomb sniffing dog in the area – the next closest is at Fort Leonard Wood – Brenner’s work often aligns with the Springfield Police and Fire departments.

“Sniffing out a bomb is a huge deal,” he said. “You don’t want just anyone. You can’t give the all clear and then a bomb goes off. You need a certified professional.”

When the Springfield Fire Department’s service dog retired two years ago, Fire Marshall Phil Noah says it wasn’t financially feasible to replace the animal, but the department currently is in talks with Brenner to potentially hire his K-9s on a contract basis.

“I was investigating a criminal case in January and came across indication of a flammable liquid,” he said, noting he took samples and set them out for lab tests. “The next day, my investigation was done, but insurance investigators were still on scene. I asked if Tim could run his dog through as a test.

“Sure enough, the dog hit where I thought and in two other places. Lab tests confirmed the results.”

Noah says the department doesn’t work directly with SMoJS on investigations, but through Missouri’s Arson Immunity Act. If all parties agree, the act allows criminal investigators, such as Noah, and civil investigators, such as Brenner, to share and compare findings.

“Sometimes a person will invoke their Miranda rights or plead the fifth and I’m done,” he said. “However, often times insurance contracts don’t allow that; they must cooperate. So, private investigators can get more information about the scene. I can then access it through the Arson Immunity Act.”

Noah said some information obtained this way can’t be used under oath, but can aid in his continuing investigation.

“We don’t collaborate,” Noah said, “But having them on scene has benefits.”[[In-content Ad]]