The inspections, open only to Miramar residents, take a few minutes and are done free of charge.

To have a newly purchased car inspected, residents must make an appointment with the Police Department's canine unit. The resident must bring proof of car ownership to the appointment.

If minor contraband is found, Savaiko said, the car will be cleaned and the buyer can leave without fear of punishment.

The newly approved program, proposed by City Commissioner Winston Barnes, was created after a resident complained that a friend was stopped by police and held for contraband left in the car she had just purchased.

"We just want to give people peace of mind that they can start fresh with a car," Savaiko said. "We'd rather meet with people in a friendly environment than have them be stopped in another state."

Because police don't want to get involved in the buying process, Savaiko said the department won't inspect cars before they have been purchased. So far, nobody has requested the service.

Richard Davis, a five-year Miramar resident, said he would have never thought of taking his used car for a contraband inspection.

"It would be the last thing on my mind if I bought a used car," he said.

City Manager Bob Payton called the cost of the program "negligible."

Savaiko said finding remnants of drugs in used cars has not been an issue in Miramar before, but the department wanted to ensure residents had a way to protect themselves.

Barnes called the program a good tool to prevent the possibility of being "stopped at 2 a.m. and the [police drug-sniffing] dogs get crazy on your car, and you don't know what is happening."

(source) Sun Sentinel (Milton D. Carrero Galarza) 2-13-04