Yavapai County Sheriff's Office K-9 Unit Deputies Travis Hartman and Gilbert Wakefield, along with Wakefield's K-9 Skye, who is Belgian-Malinoese, participate in the Veterans History Project's Monthly Coffee With – Stopped by the Sedona Public Library on Friday, January 12th during the Veterans Program.
“[Wakefield] Hartman said as he placed boxes of illegal drugs around the room for demonstrations. “[Wakefield] He is the Sheriff's Office's newest dog handler and has been certified by Skye for several weeks. As part of our certification process, dogs must undergo a series of tests including: [with their] The handler will check to see if it has been deemed reliable by the court to detect drugs. As part of this, there are two vehicle searches and three room searches. These are done blindfolded, so neither the dog nor the owner knows where the drugs are. This is similar to authentication. ”
Wakefield and Skye then re-entered the room, and Wakefield used Skye to identify the hidden substance. Skye is a drug detection dog certified to detect methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl.
“What dogs can do that humans can't is they can separate scents,” Hartman said. “Let's use stew as an example. When we come home and beef stew is cooking on the stove, all we smell is the beef stew. Well, when the dog comes into the room, the dog smells the carrots. , I can smell onions, celery, stock, and beef individually, so I can differentiate between all those different smells.”
The YCSO K-9 team is a crime prevention unit, which means arrests are a low priority for its members.
“We don't use patrol dogs to chase bad guys or search buildings,” Hartman explained. “What we are doing is preventing the flow of drugs into the United States and into our communities on major interstates, U.S. Route 93, Interstate 17 and Interstate 40; and on the roads in our communities. To accomplish that mission, we utilize patrol dogs like Skye. It is about disrupting and dismantling cartel activity in the country.”
Hartman said the K-9 unit's “primary goal is to destroy drug cartels in Mexico.”
“Yavapai County often faces problems involving many organized crime syndicates,” said YCSO Public Affairs Coordinator Steve Brazell, who was also in attendance. “The overwhelming threat to our community is currently posed by syndicates located in Mexico. However, we face challenges from domestic and foreign criminal organizations that threaten our communities here in Yavapai County. ”
Mr. Brazell did not disclose the names of organized crime syndicates that YCSO has identified as operating in Yavapai County or the number of arrests YCSO has made of members of these organized crime syndicates in recent years.
Mr Brazell said: “I have no further comment.''
“We've traditionally purchased European bloodlines from places like Germany and the Netherlands. We're now transitioning to floppy-eared dogs that we've adopted from Ireland,” Hartman said. “Sky is our last point-year dog. Once our dog retires, we're going to start buying springer spaniels and lab dogs. We bought those dogs from a Texas breeder. He buys dogs from Europe.
“Skye wants to eat people, she wants to bite people, she's very active, and that's what the Belgian Malinois breed is for,” Hartman said, adding that YCSO has not used biting dogs since 2018. It pointed out.Another reason why motivation exceeds mission [the change] teeth [floppy-eared dogs] Outwardly, please have a more friendly appearance…The Institute and the Springer Spaniel are a little less motivated and closer to our specific mission. Sky's drive is perfect for vigilance, track-and-trail, patrol work, and spotting. However, it is only in one area that she has achieved such high athletic prowess. If the dog is denied other types of training, it can lead to behavioral problems. ”
Hartman uses a pointy-eared German shepherd named Haddie as a K-9, but plans to retire soon, “so one of the younger dogs, Skye, was given the task of demo work.'' ,” Hartman said.
“Hadi is originally from Canada and trained with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police,” Sergeant Jarrod Winfrey of the Anti-Drug Trafficking Group said in a statement. June 2020 press release. “When Canada legalized marijuana, drug dogs were replaced by the government. “Their loss is our gain.” “Interesting fact about the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office: Arizona's first fentanyl certification Dogs and having a K-9 Haddie who is one of the first certified dogs in the country, my dog,” Hartman said. “At one point, K-9 Hadi held the record for the largest fentanyl seizure in the United States.”
The unit recently received a $1,000 donation from Wendy Skaggs, who ran a winter craft fair at Pine Ridge Mall in Prescott, raising $500, which was matched by her employer, Prescott Improvement District Services. .
“[Skaggs] The checks were presented to members of the unit, including Chief Deputy Jeff Newnham and K-9 Skye,” a YCSO press release states. Newnham said his office is grateful for the donation, which will help the K-9 unit during 2023, including a large-scale drug bust on Interstate 40 in northern Yavapai County on Dec. 27. Four San Antonio, Texas residents were arrested on various felonies and more than 160 pounds of marijuana was seized from their vehicles. ”
