New K-9s provide PCSO with added effectiveness

Over the past year and a half, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office has implemented many reforms in an effort to provide improved service to the community while saving money.

The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit has been the focus of recent change and reform. For the first time in several years, the unit has been assigned a working supervisor and the unit re-assigned to the Narcotics Task Force where they are able to focus on drug interdiction, removing drugs from our streets. 

Recent additions to the unit have been geared toward improving productivity and saving money. Since January two new canines have been added to the unit, and the investment is already proving beneficial. With support from Pinal County Risk Management and the Pinal County Adult Detention Facility, K-9 Ares (pronounced Are-ees) and K-9 Solo were purchased and have been getting to know their new partners Deputies Eric Berner and Daniel Lopez.

Ares is a three-year-old Belgian Malinois from the Czech Republic. Ares is a dual-purpose dog. A dual-purpose K-9 is used for both narcotics detection and patrol functions such as handler protection and suspect apprehension. Deputy Berner and his K-9 partner Ares are currently in the K-9 academy at COTA in Tucson.

Solo is a three-year-old German Shepherd/Belgian Malinois mix. Solo is a large dog, weighing nearly 95 pounds. Solo was born in the Czech Republic and brought to the United States when he was two years old. Solo was trained at the World Wide Canine facility in Spring Branch, Texas. Deputy Lopez and Solo have been partners since January 2010 and since then have collectively seized over 1,300 pounds of marijuana.

The PCSO K-9 unit was created nearly 15 years ago as a proactive unit using the K-9 as a drug interdiction tool. The K-9 Unit is tasked with conducting selective traffic enforcement in drug trafficking areas. The K-9 Unit provides a much needed officer safety tool by providing back up and assistance for the district deputies. The K-9 Team can search an area/building/vehicle for suspects or narcotics in a faster, safer, more effective manner that its human counterpart. The K-9 unit assists district deputies on the road, minimizing downtime while maximizing effectiveness.

The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit consists of five K-9 handler teams. Four of the teams are dual-purpose K-9 teams that perform narcotic searches, as well as patrol functions such as suspect searches and apprehensions. The sixth K-9 team is a single purpose K-9 team that is assigned to the adult detention center to help prevent narcotic contraband from entering the facility. Each PCSO K-9 team is certified by two national organizations and must maintain their certification in order to work the road.

The K-9 Unit additionally provides the sheriff’s office with a positive public relations tool. Each K-9 Team conducts public demonstrations and public education throughout the county for many different groups and organizations. In an effort to help Pinal County schools provide students with a safe learning environment, the Pinal County Sheriff’s K-9 Unit conducts school drug searches and has been extremely successful.

“There is no doubt K-9s are the most effective and cost efficient tools a law enforcement agency has when searching for suspects, victims or narcotics,” said Sheriff Paul Babeu. “Our new K-9s join our aggressive law enforcement team, helping us clear buildings quickly and safely and alerting their handlers to drugs and other illegal activity. Cops are loyal, yet our K-9 partners never let us down.”

Submitted photo