Pubdate: Wed, 26 Dec 2001
Source: Laurel Leader-Call (MS)
Copyright: 2001 Laurel Leader-Call
Website: http://www.leadercall.com
Contact:  130 Beacon Street, Laurel, Mississippi 39440
Phone: (601) 428-0551
Author: Brian Livingston

JCSO WELCOMES SECOND K-9 OFFICER

It has been long said that a dog is man's best friend. It could also be 
said that a dog is man's best partner in combating drug related crime.

The Jones County Sheriff's Office has two new K-9 officers by the name of 
Brutis and Cas. Brutis is a 5 year old German Shepherd and Cas is a 4 year 
old Belgian Malinois.

"Brutis was donated to the sheriff's office and was already partially 
trained from being with a previous law enforcement agency for what we need 
him to do," said Stan Livingston, JCSO K-9 handler. "I had to go through a 
10-week certification course in order for he and I to work together."

The training facility, South Mississippi Canine in Petal, trains police and 
other law enforcement agency canines for the Laurel Police Department and 
others throughout Mississippi.

Livingston said being teamed with a K-9 officer is something he has always 
wanted to do.

"In a sense, they are just like having a human partner always with you," he 
said. "Brutis already has numerous arrests to his credit since joining the 
force a month or so ago."

Cas is a veteran of the Dallas, Texas Police Department. Including drug 
busts from there and since he has been on patrol with the JCSO and the 
Southeast Mississippi Drug Task Force, Cas has accounted for nine felony 
drug convictions and found over a kilo of marijuana and crystal 
methamphetamine.

"Cas is a very experienced K-9 officer," said Macon Davis, JCSO patrolman 
and SMDTF agent. "It was easier to get recertified with him because he was 
already trained in many of the procedures we used here."

Davis went on to say because Cas already was well trained, the transition 
was very smooth.

This is Davis' second canine partner. His previous dog, Nero, didn't work 
out as he had hoped.

"Sometimes the dogs just don't work out," Davis said. "That is not the 
fault of the dog or the training or the handler. Dogs are just as different 
as people. There are things they do well and there are things they don't do 
as good. I think Cas will be just what we want in the type of operations we 
are involved in."

Jones County Sheriff Larry Dykes said it is a comfort and a distinct 
advantage to having two dogs at the JCSO's disposal.

"Stan is on shift a lot and if we need him, Macon can contribute with his 
dog," Dykes said. "This gives us more opportunities to fight drugs in Jones 
County."

Both K-9 officers live at the homes of their handlers. In that respect, and 
as was pointed out by Livingston, they become a part of the family.

"It is like having another child around the house," he said. "But it is 
nice to have them there. They are good with the kids."
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