ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.- When marijuana officially becomes legal in New Mexico next month, law enforcement agencies across the state are going to be forced to adjust their policing tactics. Many people may not realize — that includes their drug sniffing K-9s.
At the Farmington Police Headquarters, Sgt. Luther Mosely and his longtime K-9 partner Hasso are specialized in narcotics detection.
“He’s trained in marijuana, heroin, cocaine, ecstasy and methamphetamine,” said Sgt. Mosely, adding that in 2019, Hasso had 80 narcotics finds.
Lapel video from one case shows Hasso leading officers to two pounds in heroin and $35,000 in cash stashed in the car.
However, Hasso’s days detecting drugs are numbered.
“He will be one of the dogs that’s out of service for narcotics,” said Sgt. Mosley.
The reason Hasso and one other Farmington K-9 will be taken off narcotics detection boils down to New Mexico’s legalization of marijuana.
Farmington Police Chief Steve Hebbe said his department’s dogs that are trained to detect marijuana will soon be retired out of that specialization because those K-9s pose a problem for establishing probable cause.
