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Daybreak - PINAL COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE’S K-9 UNIT

In tight spots, deputies call in man’s best friend

By JOE MEAHL
Staff Writer

Published: Thursday, March 25, 2010 9:01 AM MST

Deputy Daniel Lopez and his dog Solo have seized more than 1,300 pounds of marijuana since being matched up in January.

“He’s great,” Lopez said. “He is very social and loving and he loves to work. Solo is an all-round, nice dog. He meets the same standards as the other dogs I’ve had.”

The K-9 unit at the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office is putting a bigger emphasis on drug enforcement.

Lopez has been a deputy for 10 years and in law enforcement 12 years. In 2004, he became a K-9 officer and has had several dogs since then.

Solo, a 3-year-old German shepherd/Belgian Malinois mix, is a large dog, weighing nearly 95 pounds. He was born in the Czech Republic and brought to the United States when he was 2.

Solo and Lopez were trained at the Worldwide Canine center in Spring Branch, Texas.

Lopez said an example of how a dog can help was when a suspect was hiding in an attic. The dog was sent up and he found the suspect hiding under insulation.

The dog stayed with the suspect and escorted him out of the attic so he could be arrested, Lopez said.

Over the years, Lopez said, his dogs have found lots of drugs, especially on Interstate 10. One time he found 20 kilos of cocaine hidden in a vehicle.

His dogs have done tracking, patrol work and drug intervention.

The office’s K-9 units have been the focus of recent change and reform. For the first time in several years, the unit has been assigned a hands-on supervisor, Cpl. David Hailey, and was re-assigned to the Narcotics Task Force.

With support from Pinal County Risk Management and the Pinal County Adult Detention Center, Solo and another dog, Ares, were purchased.

Handled by Deputy Eric Berner, Ares is a 3-year-old Belgian Malinois, also from the Czech Republic. He is a dual-purpose dog, used for narcotics detection and patrol functions such as handler protection and suspect apprehension.

Berner and Ares are in the K-9 program at the state Correctional Officer Training Academy in Tucson.

The Pinal K-9 unit was created nearly 15 years ago as a drug interdiction tool and used in areas known for drug trafficking. The unit also backs up officers in dangerous situations.

The K-9s can search an area, building or vehicle for suspects or narcotics in a faster, safer, more effective manner than a human can.

Two other K-9 teams are assigned to the adult detention center in Florence to help prevent narcotics from entering the jail. Each team is certified by two national organizations.

The teams also conduct public demonstrations and public education throughout the county for many different groups and organizations. The dogs conduct school drug searches.

“There is no doubt K-9s are the most effective and cost-efficient tools a law enforcement agency has when searching for suspects, victims or narcotics,” Sheriff Paul Babeu said.

The cost of the two dogs and their training was about $22,000. Lopez said $15,000 toward the cost of Solo and the training came out of the jail budget. About $7,000 for Ares came out of the Risk Management budget.

The dogs and their work also are supported by public donations, Lopez said. Anyone wanting to help can send donations to: Pinal County Justice Foundation, Attn: K-9 Unit, 6832 S. Kings Ranch Road, No. 2-16, Gold Canyon, AZ 85118.

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