Pubdate: Tue, 08 Apr 2008
Source: Tyler Morning Telegraph (TX)
Copyright: 2008 T.B. Butler Publishing Company, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.tylerpaper.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1669

SHERIFF'S OFFICE DRUG DOGS, HANDLERS RECEIVE  RECOGNITION

LONGVIEW -Two top dogs at the Gregg County Sheriff's  Office and their
handlers received awards at the  National Narcotics Detector Dog
Association  competition.

The competition was held in Jackson, Miss., and out of  the 109 dogs
and handlers, the sheriff's K-9  interdiction investigator Tracy
Freeman and his dog,  Luctor was awarded 2nd place and deputy Doug
Morgan and  Bor finished 9th in the individual competition. The  Gregg
County handlers and their dogs finished first  place in the team
competition.

"We are very proud of our dogs and our deputies," Lt.  Mike Claxton,
with the Gregg County Sheriff's Office  said.

The dogs and instructors competing in the competition  came from law
enforcement agencies across the United  States. The training by the
NNDDA is required for K9  certification, and is a 40-hour block of
training that  compels both dog and handler to perform at maximum
expectations,

"These K9s perform a valuable service to the sheriff's  office, other
departments and to the citizens within  and around Gregg County,"
Claxton said.

The dogs are not only used to search for drugs, but to  track suspects
and help locate missing persons. The K9s  also lessen the potential
for officer injury on  dangerous assignments.

Recently the K9s put their skills to use in Gregg  County when Luctor
found more than 150 pounds of  marijuana in a motor home headed to
Florida. He also  helped find an elderly man who wandered away from
his  home.

Claxton said that in January Bor helped successfully  track down two
fleeing felons.

"This is quite an accomplishment," Claxton said.
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MAP posted-by: Derek