Canine Unit
Background
In 1990, the Jackson Police Department recognized the need for a Police Dog to assist officers in the fight against drugs and purchased a detector canine named “Boney”. Boney, handled by Inv. Mark Smith, was responsible for the seizure of nearly a million dollars in cash, vehicles, and narcotics over his nine year career. Due to the increase in the illegal drug trade and the success of the dog program, the Jackson Police Department has purchased six canines since 1990, four of which are still in service.
Duties
The Jackson Police Department currently has four Police canines, three detector dogs and one dual purpose dog. All of the dogs are used to assist officers with the Jackson Police Department and other agencies.
Each dog is trained to detect the odor of the following illegal narcotics:
- Marijuana
- Cocaine
- Heroin
- Methamphetamine
Our dual purpose dogs are trained to:
- Detect illegal narcotic odors
- Find and apprehend violent suspects
Each dog is trained and certified by the standards set forth by the United States Police Canine Association (USPCA).
Organization
Two of the dogs are currently assigned to the Special Operations Division and two are assigned to the Patrol Division.
- Investigator Brandon Moss is assigned to the Metro Narcotics Unit and handles a detector dog named “Biscuit”. Biscuit is a 4 year old Belgian Malinois. Inv. Moss has been with the Jackson Police Department since 2000.
- Investigator Mark Wray is assigned to the Metro Narcotics Unit and handles a detector dog named “Pulse”. Pulse is a 6 year old Labrador Retriever. Inv. Wray has been with the Jackson Police Department since 2007.
- Officer Eston Williams is assigned to the Patrol Division and handles a detector dog named “Bullet”. Bullet is a 12 year old Labrador Retriever. Officer Williams has been with the Jackson Police Department since 2000.
- Officer Jeremy Stines is assigned to the Patrol Division and handles a dual purpose dog named “Farro”. Farro is a 5 year old Czech Shepherd. Officer Stines has been with the Jackson Police Department since 2002.
Summary
The Jackson Police Department’s Canine Unit takes great pride in there ability to harness there canine partners acute sense of smell to find what the criminal element might be hiding or hiding from.
