Drug Dog Effective Crime Prevention Tool

November 2010 - In 2004, concerns about drug activity in the Fairbury area prompted local law enforcement officials to take action. It was that year, that a K-9 unit was created, which has proven to be a powerful weapon in the war against drugs in the Fairbury area.

Ringo, the third dog to serve Jefferson County, is a Belgian Melinios/Dutch Shepherd mix. Like all Belgian Shepherds, the Malinois is a medium-sized and square-proportioned dog in the sheepdog family. In Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and other European countries, as well as in the United States, Canada and Australia, the Malinois is bred primarily as a working dog for personal protection, detection, police work, search and rescue, and sport work.

Ringo was 8 months old when he joined the Jefferson County Sheriff’s office in 2008. In January 2009, the Sheriff’s office donated Ringo to the Fairbury Police Department. He and his handler, Fairbury Police Officer John Davis received training through the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department K9 Unit. The Douglas County K9 Unit utilizes the same training standards set by the  Nebraska State Patrol’s Police Service Dog (PSD) Division, who trains according to West German Police standards and meets the standards set forth by the International Congress of Police Service Dogs.  Handler and dog train for approximately six weeks to gain a Detector Dog certification and must recertify on an annual basis. This enables the PSD team to maintain basic training as well as advance their training and abilities to meet the demands of working the street.

Ringo accompanies Officer Davis while on duty and also lives with Davis. Ringo receives approximately four hours of on-going training per week, and has been State and Nationally certified as a passive indicator for narcotics detection. According to the Nebraska State Patrol, “Drug detection is an important service provided.  Dogs have a keen sense of smell that allows them to detect odors that humans cannot.  This becomes very important when dealing with contraband sealed inside a vehicle.  A properly trained PSD team is a reliable way to determine if the odor of drugs are present in a vehicle, and can establish probable cause to search for those drugs.” Ringo not only assists the Fairbury Police Department on calls within the city limits, but is also dispatched to assist the Jefferson County Sheriff’s office, area counties’ law enforcement agencies, plus the Nebraska State Patrol.

The Fairbury Police Department is dedicated to community awareness.  The Department conducts educational demonstrations for schools and other community and civic groups in an effort to inform the public. Officer Davis is happy to present programs and introduce Ringo to the community. Requests can be made by emailing officer Davis at John.Davis@JeffCoLaw.us.

The Drug Dog program is funded entirely by donations and costs approximately $5-10K per year to administer. Equipment and advanced training are also expensive to keep the team on the cutting edge in their field. Costs associated with the program include food, medical care and training, plus the cost of the dog itself. Quality dogs are very expensive, often costing $7,000 to $8,000 for an untrained dog. Generous donors have purchased many of the Police Service Dogs that are working the street today.  Thanks to the generosity of local businesses and individuals donors, the costs for the Fairbury Drug Dog Program are underwritten fully.

The Fairbury K-9 unit is a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee, a vehicle which was seized from a local drug dealer. However, due to age, wear and tear, the vehicle will soon need to be replaced. Because there is no line-item budgeted for the purchase of a new K-9 unit, the Department must rely fully on donations from the public to fund the purchase of a new vehicle. “If I could have my wish, it would be for a Chevrolet Tahoe, then Ringo and I would have plenty of room for all of our equipment and would be able to respond to calls in various conditions."

To make a tax-deductible donation to assist the Fairbury Drug Dog Program, click here.