Pubdate: Mon, 17 Dec 2001
Source: Oklahoman, The (OK)
Copyright: 2001 The Oklahoma Publishing Co.
Contact:  http://www.oklahoman.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/318
Author: Leonard Jackson

Dog: Ben

TUTTLE OFFICER BUYS K-9

TUTTLE -- Jeremy Lewis decided that Tuttle, for whom he works as a police 
officer, needed a K-9 dog to help attack the crime problem in the growing 
area. So he went out and bought Ben, a young German shepherd. And it didn't 
cost the city a cent.

In four days, after he received the City Council's approval, he went to all 
the merchants of Tuttle and raised $4,000 -- enough to pay Ben's $3,500 
price tag as well as the cost of special training classes for Lewis and the 
dog, along with equipment.

Now the officer and Ben are the best of friends.

"I've spent so much time with him in the last two weeks that we've become 
bonded," Lewis said. "He's my partner."

They haven't been officially certified yet, which means Ben has to remain 
in the police car, but already his presence has paid off.

"We've had three separate narcotics arrests in the past week, just having 
him in the car," Lewis said. "Suspects are intimidated when they see him 
and they confess having drugs, which we find in their car."

The officer and the dog plan to be certified as a K-9 unit today with CLEET 
- -- Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training.

"Ben's definitely ready. He's a lot further along than I am. He knows what 
he's doing."

Lewis, who lives in Moore, has been on the Tuttle force a year. He visited 
police departments in Mustang, Newcastle and Lexington to see how they 
acquired their dogs. He bought Ben from Matt Mixson, a dog trainer and also 
undersheriff for Garvin County. The two partners have been taking some of 
their training from Mixson on weekends. They also train two days a week at 
Newcastle.

Right now Ben is a narcotics dog, but he's being trained for dual service 
- -- to search buildings for narcotics and suspects -- and also to protect 
Lewis. He has been trained to detect five different narcotics: cocaine, 
heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine and hashish.

Lewis explained there are two types of narcotics dogs, passive and 
aggressive. Ben is the passive type. When he finds dope, he puts his nose 
down and sits. When the aggressive type finds dope, it starts scratching 
furiously. Ben's type poses less liability for the city because he doesn't 
tear things up, the officer said.

"The reason we got the dog," Lewis said, "is that Tuttle's population is 
growing like mad. It covers 45 square miles. We expect traffic to double 
with the opening of the new bridge in a couple of weeks that will connect 
Tuttle with Mustang, which means a lot more traffic from Oklahoma City and 
a lot more problems. An increase in crime is inevitable. More drugs mean 
more crime. This gives another tool to fight crime."

Lewis said he presented the K-9 dog idea to the police chief, who OK'd it, 
and then he presented it to the City Council as a no-cost proposal. The 
council approved it, and Lewis went looking for donations. A local 
veterinarian offered his services free, grocers donated food and other 
merchants gave money.

Lewis, 24, doesn't get paid for the extra time he devotes to training with 
Ben. He does his police duty at night and has a part-time day job. This is 
his first full-time police job.
He is married and has a daughter, 16 months old.

"Ben is a friendly dog and plays with my family. We have another German 
shepherd who is 2 1/2. They get along fine. But Ben really gets excited 
when it's time to go to work, when he sees the patrol car."
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MAP posted-by: Beth