Oklahoma Law Enforcement Train To Track Crooks

Tulsa County Sheriff's deputies are training law enforcement from across the country on how to track crooks.

Sand Springs Police officers, along with military, are all taking part in the advanced training, which teaches them to follow a person's trail right in the middle of a city.

Deputies and police never know where a suspect could lead them - sometimes it's through woods, but many times it's through an urban setting.

They could run down sidewalks, streets and even in and out of buildings, but thanks to the training, authorities aren't far behind.

Tulsa County Sheriff's Deputy Mic Bonin is teaching members of the military and law enforcement how to stay on a suspect's heels, even when they are out of sight.

"A lot of times we will have people bail from the back of a house or a truck and it will take them into an urban environment," he said.

The track starts on side of the building. Most of the men are security, keeping an eye out for threats, while the tracker works. They operate in complete silence, using hand signals.

Bonin said, when tracking in an urban setting, you look ahead for what the suspect might have stepped in and left behind - like oil, sand, even pollen.

"You can see right here on this track they have a transfer and deposit from the material he stepped into," he said.

The team heads to the sidewalk next. The tracks stop at a mat in front of a store, which lets them know the suspect is inside.

Bonin said, "Hardwood floors, linoleum, marble stone, indoor or outside, it doesn't matter. When they are taught, they can still pick up the track."

The skills have greatly helped Sand Springs officer Jason Mcginnis.

"Tracking is a science, it's not guess work, it's something you have to put a lot of time into," he said.

Bonin is happy to share his knowledge to help others catch bad guys.

"We have had some extensive experience trial and error in urban tracking and have fine-tuned it over the years," he said.

In October, a free class to the public will be offered, to learn the basic techniques of tracking.

It could help neighbors identify if someone is hiding out in their yard or if an intruder possibly went inside their home before they got there.