Pubdate: Thu, 08 Aug 2002
Source: Times, The (LA)
Copyright: 2002 The Times
Contact:  http://www.shreveporttimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1019
Author: Vickie Welborn

MANSFIELD ADDS FIRST K-9 UNIT

Officer Rex Leaves Desoto Sheriff''s Office For Police Department

MANSFIELD - K-9s have become a common sight with many area law enforcement 
agencies. Most authorities agree that the dogs - often specially trained to 
sniff out drugs or missing people and even disburse a disorderly crowd - 
can take the place of five officers.

Now, for the first time, a K-9 has joined the ranks of the Mansfield police 
force. Officer Rex, an 8-year-old Belgian malanois, accompanied his 
handler, Officer Curtis Sebastian, on his first patrol outing Wednesday 
evening.

But Rex is no rookie. For more than two years, he wore a DeSoto sheriff's 
deputy badge. Rex, along with the sheriff's office's other K-9, Tosca, a 
3-year-old Belgian malanois, were instrumental in making a number of drug 
finds in addition to successfully aiding in the search for several children 
and adults who had wandered away from their homes.

Though Rex and Tosca were invaluable to the office, Sheriff Rodney Arbuckle 
said he really couldn't justify keeping both, especially since he found 
that many calls for the dogs were happening within Mansfield. "But I don't 
ever want to be without one," Arbuckle said.

Enter new Mansfield Mayor Curtis McCoy. The former assistant police chief 
who assumed the mayoral post July 1 quickly offered to take Rex.

"Coming from a law enforcement background, I felt a dog had been needed for 
years and years and years," McCoy said. "Now I'm in a position to upgrade 
the department, and we acquired the dog."

Rex, who had been donated to the sheriff's office, was in turn given to the 
Mansfield Police Department. The sheriff's office also sold one of its two 
fully rigged K-9 patrol cars to the city for $12,000.

K-9s previously had been prohibited from the Police Department by former 
Mayor Harold Cornett, who cited liability concerns.

McCoy sees both sides. "It can be a liability not to have one. Dogs can be 
used for the safety of all citizens. They have been a part of police 
departments throughout the United States."

Police Chief Don English said Rex and Sebastian will be on 24-hour call but 
still will work regular patrol shifts. But he'd like to see the pair 
concentrate on drug enforcement. English expects his department and the 
sheriff's office will combine forces often to combat street-corner drug 
dealers.

Sebastian, a 13-year law enforcement veteran, was a narcotics dog handler 
for 1 1/2 years when he was employed by the previous DeSoto sheriff's 
administration.

Dogs, he said, are "just like little kids." Sebastian eagerly volunteered 
to take on the responsibility of Rex when he learned the department would 
be getting its own dog.

While Rex is certified in narcotics and crowd control, he must get 
recertified in tracking and cadaver searches, Sebastian said.

"He's a multipurpose dog," McCoy said. "And like our patrolmen, he'll go to 
school, too. We're going to emphasize training."
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