Cop canine's sniffer is tops
Assists with drug arrest at Marion High School
Staff reporter
The call comes in. A law enforcement agency needs a dog to locate drugs.
Marion County Sheriff Sergeant Jeff Soyez and his partner, Jag, respond to the request.
Such was the case Monday when Marion Police Lieutenant Dean Keyes requested assistance when a portion of a marijuana cigarette was found at Marion High School.
Keyes said he was called to the school and confirmed the findings. He then contacted Soyez.
Soyez and Jag did a "run through."
"It was tiring for Jag," Soyez explained, "because she smelled the floors and every locker in the building."
A dog's keen sense of smell is far greater than humans.
"Humans can smell five scents and dogs can smell hundreds," Soyez said.
If humans were to attempt to smell what Jag did in the school and parking lot, they would become light-headed, he said.
When nothing turned up in the school, the duo went to the parking lot.
"If we hadn't searched the building and then moved to the parking lot, we wouldn't have found the drugs," Soyez said.
While Soyez and Jag were in the parking lot checking vehicles, an item was in plain sight. The owner was brought to the vehicle and the vehicle was searched. Two more items were located.
While doing the search of a vehicle, another student walking across the parking lot was asked to allow a search of items he was carrying back into school. Marijuana and paraphernalia were found.
Becker further explained that possession of an illegal drug on school property is a felony.
The juvenile was arrested, booked into juvenile intake, and was released to the custody of a parent.
Soyez and his canine companion have been partners since 2000. The seven-year-old is a Belgian Malinois which is a variety of the Belgian shepherd. She was purchased from a kennel in Connecticut. The pair was trained and certified by Rivera Police Canine.
A K-9 unit is an investment for the department.
"The cheapest part of the dog was purchasing and training it," Becker said, but was quick to add that it is worth the cost.
Jag has assisted in locating missing people who have wandered away from home. She also was instrumental in locating a runaway and criminals fleeing law enforcement.
Soyez recalled an incident when humans already had searched an area and didn't locate anything. Jag came in and sniffed out drugs that were hidden in a place that was overlooked.
The pair also has provided services to neighboring counties.
"We reciprocate with other departments because there are times we need them for something," Becker said.
The dog can search for people and drugs all day, Soyez said, as long as she is given appropriate rest breaks. Jag receives regular check-ups, follows a balanced diet, and obviously gets plenty of exercise and attention from her master.
In about 18 months, the seven-year-old K-9 will retire. What will happen to her then?
"Hopefully she can continue to live with me and my family," Soyez said.
When the time comes, Soyez said it's going to be tough to replace Jag.
"She's been a loyal partner and like a member of my family," he said.
