Jak and K9 Officer Capture National Award
Recognition based on amount of drugs, cash seize
August 2009 - Jak will do almost anything for his rubber toy and a kind word from his partner, Catawba County Sheriff's K9 Officer Dennis Smith.
The 4-year-old German shepherd has worked with Smith for a year. Jak is trained in tracking, searching for drugs and doing regular patrol duty, Smith said.
On Aug. 21, Smith was notified he and Jak received the American Police Canine Association's Presidential Award for Narcotic Interdiction Team for 2009.
This is the third year in a row Smith has won the award.
"No one else has won it three times in a row before," Smith said. "I'm really proud."
Smith won the award with another K9 partner — before he had Jak, he won the award with Max in 2007 and 2008. Max died in July 2008.
The American Police Canine Association only gives out three awards a year nationwide: One in the patrol division, one in the school resource officer division and one in the narcotic interdiction division, Smith said. The association looks at the amount of drugs and cash K9 teams have recovered when determining who will win the award.
Smith and Jak have either assisted with or seized more than $1.3 million in drugs and cash in the last year. Smith said they most often find marijuana, but they have found several other types of drugs.
"I couldn't have done this without the narcotics department and ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)," Smith said. "They've really helped."
Smith officially works with Jak 10 hours a month to keep him sharp, but said that, unofficially, it's much more than that.
"When I report the amount of time I train with him to the sheriff's office, it's only 10 hours, but off the books, it's about 40 hours, because I enjoy doing it," Smith said. "We'll do bite work, or someone will hide dope in the panel of walls, under carpets, on a ceiling fan, on bulldozers, in cars anywhere where they think Jak won't find it."
When Jak searches for drugs, he'll sniff the entire area. When he finds it, he'll sit down at the location, staring directly at the spot where the drugs are hidden, tail wagging. His reward is a red rubber toy and words of praise from Smith. Smith said Jak goes through about two rubber toys a month, he loves chewing on them so much.
If Jak misses finding the drugs during training, Smith said they work on it.
"We'll work through the problem," he said. "Usually, I made the mistake. I didn't get him where he needed to be."
Smith and Jak usually conduct about six or seven drug searches a month, which entail sniffing packages at a post office, FedEx or UPS building, searching a school or similar tasks. The team also will usually conduct one or two criminal searches a month, which involve more high-risk situations.
Some of the drug seizure money Smith and Jak have helped find has actually gone to purchasing another K9, which will start work with the sheriff's office today with K9 Officer Dannie Cline.
When K9 officers are not performing drug searches, they serve the community in other capacities.
"We come to work, answer calls and try to be as proactive as we can be between calls," Smith said. "If any state, local or federal agency wants me, I go. And we'll go to any Boy Scout group or church group that wants us to come, too."
Smith and Jak will receive their award from the American Police Canine Association at the fall seminar in Indiana in late September.
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