YORKTOWN, Va. — Law enforcement officers with a local K-9 unit are sharing some of their recent success with 13News Now.
Last week alone, a release from the York-Poquoson Sheriff's Office said work of deputy dogs and their handlers led to critical evidence recovery in three separate cases.
They nabbed illegal guns and drugs off the streets, which put suspects behind bars.
"Their drives are high, and that's what we look for," said Sgt. Brett Schultz, who explained that training for the K-9s never stops.
The unit first formed in 2018, growing from a roster of one dog to now four, Schultz said. Each K-9 is paired with a handler.
The sergeant recalled it fun, yet nerve-wracking to get the program started approximately five years ago. However, as time, training and more experience with deployments developed, Schultz said the team has proven to be "a benefit to the agency and the county."
The newest addition to the lineup is Sarge, a roughly 13-week-old Bloodhound, still in training as a solely tracking dog.
Last week on a call, deputies said German Shepherd K-9 Ghost, who specializes in explosives and tracking, found loaded magazines and a buried gun in the woods.
His discovery led to the arrest of a convicted felon for illegally having firearms.
"Knowing what these dogs are capable of, we can put them in the correct situation that's going to benefit not only the dog, not only the agency, but also the case itself," said Schultz.
And he said K-9 Saber, a narcotics and tracking German Shepherd, assisted with a mutual aid call, and alerted law enforcement about a suspect's car, "which ended up yielding a significant amount of meth and possible fentanyl pills and a large amount of cash."
Meanwhile, K-9 Bado, a narcotics and tracking Belgian Malinois, helped track a suspect who ran away from a traffic stop in York County.
"During that, there were numerous narcotic charges, as well as some DUI charges that came from the apprehension Bado had from his track," said Schultz.
The veteran law enforcement officer said the dogs are crucial in elevating response.
"They respond to and handle stuff outside of the realm of regular patrol deputy. So, when a patrol deputy can't go any further, these dogs show up and try to take these cases further," said Schultz.
Schultz told 13News Now that thanks to continued support from the sheriff's administration, he envisions the unit eventually growing by a couple more K-9s.
Training-wise, Schultz also spoke about bouncing ideas off other handlers on the Peninsula, as well as exercising the dogs in tandem with other K-9s from different law enforcement agencies.
"You paint the picture for the dog, the dog sees the picture, and now the dog's going to know how to respond in maybe situations they'd never seen before," said Schultz.
Moreover, just on Monday, the York-Poquoson Sheriff's Office posted on Facebook saying K-9 Ghost received a donated bullet and stab protective vest from Patricia Settimo through the nonprofit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc.