Rookie Garner Officer Shows Knack For Making Drug Busts

Three-year-old Tosca only has been on patrol since December. Yet she already is making a name for herself on the street.

At first, her partner had reservations.

"I had some doubts about my ability and us working together," officer Bill Beamish said.

As it turns out, Tosca is a hard-working canine. Last Wednesday, she made her first drug bust -- finding crack cocaine in a suspect's car.

"We were excited," Beamish said.

The next day, Tosca, a Belgium Malinois, sniffed out marijuana in a car floorboard.

"I was surprised," Beamish said.

Just a few hours later, according to police, Tosca took down a dealer. She found marijuana, cocaine, a drug scale and pipe in the car of a man suspected of DWI.

That made three busts in 24 hours -- a great way to make an impression in a new job.

"It builds both of our confidence up," Beamish said.

Beamish said the day before the first bust, he and Tosca were in training all day. He added that perhaps Tosca thought training is what they were doing again and again and again.

Tosca, one four K-9 cops for Garner, is trained to find missing people and bite on command. But Beamish said Tosca likes tracking drugs the most.

Call it timing, or a trick to get drugs off the street. For Tosca, it is just another day at the office.