October 18, 2023
By
Brendan Baptiste (e-mail)
Communications Office
Okay-9s and their handlers graduated from the WA DOC Canine Training Program.
(Photo courtesy of Brendan Baptiste, Communications Office)
On one of many ultimate days of summer season, the Department of Corrections (DOC) Headquarters was stuffed with pleasure and anticipation as DOC workers and Sherriff Deputies from Thurston County, Okanogan Countyand Deputies from Chelan County Regional Justice Center gathered to witness the commencement of the latest groups of K9 narcotic canine handlers. The occasion, a fruits of 200 hours of rigorous coaching and unyielding dedication, not solely marks a major milestone for the handlers and their canines but additionally underscores the division’s dedication to strengthening safety and curbing illicit actions throughout the state, jails and correctional amenities.
The latest Class of 2023 consisted of 5 handler-dog duos who’ve undergone specialised coaching to detect narcotics, a urgent concern in correctional amenities. Illicit substances in our neighborhoods, prisons, and jails can result in a myriad of points, together with violence, overdose, and the furtherance of felony enterprises. Deploying these extremely skilled canines has proven to be an efficient technique in slowing down drug smuggling and distribution.
Their function in drug detection has been invaluable to legislation enforcement and safety operations worldwide. These extremely skilled canines’ posses a heightened sense of odor, permitting them to detect even minute traces of illicit substances, together with fentanyl, which may go unnoticed by human officers. Beyond their operational effectivity, K9 models additionally act as a deterrent discouraging potential offenders.
The ceremony started with a gap handle by Okay-9 Program Manager, Terry Hartman (e-mail)who emphasised the significance of the K9 unit’s function in making certain a safer setting for each the general public, incarcerated and workers. Hartman took over this system after the retirement of Barbara Davenport and has continued to push this system to new heights.
“With the drug crisis across our state, I am happy that we can help bring more resources to combat the issue. I’m proud to see how far the dogs and their handlers have come in a such a short amount of time,” says Hartman. “But the biggest reward for me is seeing our K-9 teams being utilized to keep our neighborhoods, jails, and prisons safe.”
As the ceremony concluded, the brand new K9 narcotic canine handlers, now absolutely licensed, stepped ahead, able to embark on their respective missions throughout the state’s correctional amenities. The commencement not solely symbolizes their private achievements but additionally stands as a testomony to the Department of Corrections’ relentless pursuit of sustaining the very best requirements of security and safety.
In a world the place the challenges confronted by correctional establishments are ever evolving, the addition of those expert K9 groups to the frontline is a transfer that guarantees a safer tomorrow for all. And as every handler-dog duo steps out into the sphere, they carry with them the hopes and aspirations of a division and a neighborhood that believes of their potential to make a distinction.
