New Jersey: Questions arise about K-9 certification, what are the requirements for police departments across the country?

A New Jersey trooper won $240,000 Tuesday and could get more in punitive damages Wednesday for being relegated to the state police museum after he blew the whistle, charging state police were using uncertified handlers to train K-9 dogs.

A Mercer County trial jury deliberated two days after a week-long trial before returning the unanimous verdict in favor of Sgt. Michael Daniele against New Jersey State Police in the Conscientous Employee Protection Act case. He’ll get $240,000 in compensatory damages.

His lawyer, George T. Daggett, said Sgt. Daniele had been training coordinator for the NJSP K9 Unit at Fort Dix in January 2006 when he complained to his superiors that non-certified trainers were being used to train the dogs.

Link:
http://www.trentonian.com/articles/2010/10/12/news/doc4cb5396cee05f722509418.txt