Sheriff’s office hoping to add second K-9
Deputy Henata has been with the Coshocton County Sheriff’s Office for two and a half years and Sheriff Tim Rogers said they are hoping to add a second K-9 to their force. Josie Sellers | Beacon
COSHOCTON – The K-9 unit has proven to be a very effective tool for the Coshocton County Sheriff’s Office and they are hoping to add to it.
“We moved Deputy Stone and Henata to the detectives division to work drug interdiction and that created an open spot on the road,” said Sheriff Tim Rogers.
The position would be filled in house, but the sheriff’s office is asking for the community’s help in raising the $10,000 to $14,000 needed to get a second K-9 and his partner off and running.
“That would include the purchase of the dog, often times also training, and outfitting a vehicle to be a K-9 unit,” said Deputy Stone.
Prior to working with Henata, who is a Dutch Shepherd, Stone’s partner was the now retired Dingo, a Belgian Malinois. Some K-9 teams before them were Brent McKee and Zoff and Chris McCabe and Emir.
Stone said K-9s have helped the office with narcotics detection, tracking, article search and suspect apprehension.
“They are a powerful tool,” Stone said. “If they alert us to the possibility of drugs during a traffic stop that gives us probable cause to search a vehicle. The school districts also have been very supportive of us coming in and doing sweeps.”
He explained that the K-9 is trained to alert on marijuana, methamphetamines, crack cocaine, cocaine and heroin. The dogs also have tracked not just suspects, but victims.
“Our K-9 team has been very successful in tracking with K-9 Dingo and K-9 Henata,” Stone said. “We have located multiple missing hunters, children and elderly adults. We also have located suicidal patients and fleeing suspects.”
Henata also can help recover discarded weapons used in violent crimes and stolen property, which helps provide evidence for trials and assist other agencies in the state including the Ohio State Highway Patrol. Currently, she and Stone are primarily assisting the narcotics unit, but they also are responsible to assist the patrol division and special response team on warrants and high risk calls.
“It would be nice to have two dogs to work with on different shifts, but we also could work as a team when needed,” Stone said.
Rogers hopes to have the second K-9 team up and running this summer, but again that depends on the community’s support.
“The community has been very supportive in the past, especially the Bechtol family who helped purchase our last two K-9s,” he said.
A few other supporters that quickly came to Rogers and Stone’s minds were A-1 Vet Care, the Coshocton County Board of Realtors helped with a stab and bullet proof vest that Dingo wore and now Henata has and the Coshocton County Veterinary Association helped with a tracking system.
“We are soliciting donations for another K-9 because our budget for the year has already been set,” Rogers said. “The opportunity to move Deputy Stone and Henata to the detectives division came about when JFS came up with some alternative funding ways and approached us to help curb drug issues with some of their clients. They were willing to fund someone to work especially on drug interdiction and that left an opening on the road.”
Stone said they are looking at a male dog that is the same breed as Dingo, but nothing is set yet. Anyone wishing to make a donation to help the sheriff’s office purchase a second K-9 can write checks to the Coshocton Sheriff’s Office K-9 Fund.
“Money in that fund is used only for the K-9 program,” Rogers said. “The K-9 unit has worked well for us and if we can get two (K-9s) in the office I think we can accomplish even greater drug eradication.”
Stone added that he is more than happy to visit with community groups and put on demonstrates with Henata.
“We are more than willing to do that and usually end up going back to places multiple times after we’ve demonstrated,” he said.
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