June 14, 2018
First ever county K-9 to aid in fight against illegal drugs
Today in the ongoing effort to eradicate drugs, Sheriff Thompson announced the department’s intention to implement a K-9 unit in Wayne Co. This will be the first ever K-9 unit for The Wayne Co. Sheriff’s Department.
Sheriff Thompson stated:
“…Huntington is ground zero for the Opioid epidemic in the Unites States. It is often overlooked by the public that Huntington is also a large portion of northern Wayne County. In addition, Drugs are prevalent throughout the county. The K-9 will be utilized for search and seizure of narcotics and a tracking dog. The K-9 will not be a bite dog. The K-9 will assist officers in locating lost children, hikers, or elderly persons with dementia or Alzheimer’s.”
Sheriff Thompson also stated:
The Wayne County Sheriff Drug Enforcement Unit is one of the most successful drug units in the state. They are however a small unit and Wayne county citizens have always been of great assistance. There are often times the Drug Enforcement Unit makes traffic stops where a K-9 is needed and isn’t available. We have often received assistance by the WVSP K-9 and Huntington K-9 Units but at times they may not be available. A K-9 would greatly enhance the ability to seize drugs and make drug arrests. Thus, we are asking for help from our community with costs of this program.
Sheriff Thompson also stated that His department often encounterS drug dealers from Huntington, Columbus, Cincinnati, Akron, Dayton, Detroit, Atlanta, and Macon in the Huntington and US RT 52 areas of Wayne County. US RT 52 and I-64 is a major drug pipeline that these dealers travel through transporting and distributing narcotics. These dealers are often career criminals who take special precautions to avoid detection. A K-9 sniff would develop probable cause to allow officers to search their vehicles that are often impossible to get permission to search.
We will work closely with the schools in our community to develop a program to utilize the K-9 to eliminate drugs in our schools and to help keep a healthy relationship with our students and law enforcement. We are asking for monetary donations from the community to help with costs of training, the K-9, and the transportation unit for the K-9.
If you would like to help, checks can be mailed to The Wayne County Sheriff Department at P.O. Box 218 Wayne, WV 25570. Please indicate that it is for The K-9 unit. Further questions please contact The Wayne County Sheriff’s Department at 304-272-6378.
