On Nov. 11, 2014, Officer Aaron Steere was informed of two motor vehicle stops regarding a narcotics investigation. He and his detection dog Viking were asked to help.

Steere initially responded to a stop just over the Warwick city line on Interstate 95 north. After contacting the DEA Task Force members on scene, he was asked to complete a canine check on the vehicle.

“It was a fairly routine investigation,” Steere said Monday. “We do these on a regular basis, the public just isn’t always aware.”

Before taking Viking to the suspect vehicle, Steere performed an initial check. Finding no items or substances that may have harmed Viking, Steere turned off the car, put the windows up, and placed the ignition key on the roof.

It was now Viking’s turn to investigate.

Viking is an educated canine. He is one of two police canines, the other being Fox who is paired with officer Paul Wells.

The dogs had to complete six months of schooling, as well as three months of narcotics training. There, police dogs are introduced to the odors of heroin, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, and ecstasy.

It’s not all work for the dogs. Viking especially loves a black rubber ball.

“They’re also trained for two different types of alerts,” said Steere. “Passive and aggressive.”

Steere explained that the alerts are situational. With a passive alert, the dog sits in the general vicinity of the substance. With an aggressive alert, the dog scratches or bites at a specific location.

“The problem with sitting is that it’s an approximation,” said Steere. “The aggressive alert is more appropriate for this type of work, it gets rid of the ‘guess and check’ problem. It goes right to the source.”

Officer Steere and Viking are a nationally certified narcotics detection team. This was just another “routine” case for the duo.

Steere lead Viking around the vehicle twice, first counterclockwise, followed by a clockwise rotation. No positive signs from Viking were recorded, calling for an interior investigation of the car.

Viking showed positive indications near the driver seat, as well as a latch in the rear hatch of the vehicle. The DEA Task Force members were informed of the locations and continued the investigation at the Cranston Police Department Headquarters.

Steere and Viking responded to the second stop at Roger Williams Park in Providence. A detective on the scene informed Steere that the car was suspected to be involved in the transportation of a large quantity of narcotics, specifically heroin.

Steere proceeded with the same process from the first vehicle. When the ignition key was placed on the roof, Viking was taken to the car.

There were two more exterior rotations, with no positive indications. Viking again searched the interior of the vehicle, showing a positive sign for the passenger compartment, as well as the rear hatch area.

Viking concluded his search by clawing and biting at a cup holder in the middle of the rear bench seat. He was then removed from the vehicle, and Steere informed the detective on scene. The vehicle was moved to the Cranston Police Department Headquarters for further investigation.

“He did a great job,” Steere said, discussing Viking. “After two and a half years, he knows what he needs to do.”

Steere continued with the investigation without Viking. He helped search the blue Jeep Cherokee, which had been located at Roger Williams Park.

Steere observed many criminal indications of a possible hidden compartment. He found a dark piece of fabric that had been glued and stapled to the seat, giving the appearance of a factory installation. This did not fool Steere’s training and experience with criminal indications.

“The car had an after-market manufacture, with a hidden piston to conceal the narcotics,” Steere said.

After Steere and a Cranston Police Officer discovered this, the seat was taken off, revealing an after-market silver sheet metal plate.

The hide and wiring were physically taken off, and 2.2 pounds (or 1,000 grams) of heroin was found and seized by Task Force members. The street value for the heroin is approximately $120,000 to $140,000.

The second vehicle also contained a large area that could possibly hold contraband, however, no illegal substances were found.

“A lot of the time it is smaller stuff, but there are also many important things. There are major drug investigations that go on,” Steere said.

He said that Warwick is not quite as active as Providence, but it is “enough to keep us busy.”

Although Viking may “like his ball more than his own life,” said Steere, work will always come first.