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Jacksonville's newest officer, a Belgian Malinois named Mac, sniffed for drugs Monday afternoon. Progress photos by Faith Harper

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May 23, 2012

Good first day on the job

New Jacksonville police drug dog sniffs out a bust

Faith Harper Jacksonville Daily Progress The Jacksonville Daily Progress Wed May 23, 2012, 10:15 AM CDT

JACKSONVILLE — The Jacksonville Police Department's newest addition to the force, a 3-year old Belgian Malinois named Mac, aided in a drug arrest on his first day on the job.

Sgt. Daniel Franklin, Mac's handler, said the department has been without a drug dog for eight to nine years.

“I get to see a lot of the narcotic cases that come through here,” Franklin said. “I can see all the reports where people have denied consent, or denied the officer to look, and I knew those would be cases that an officer could make if they could have a way in the vehicle, and this would be the way. If there are drugs in the vehicle, he's going to find it.”

Officials said Mac was purchased through a combination of community donations and the aid of a non-profit, Dogs 4 Cops, which provides drug dogs at a cheaper rate for agencies that cannot afford them.

Franklin said a dog of Mac's caliber would usually cost the department between $10,000 and $15,000. He was purchased through Dogs 4 Cops for $4,600, including training.

After a three-week training session, Franklin and Mac are National Narcotic Detection Dog Association certified. Mac was trained before the department purchased him, and is capable of finding marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and ecstasy. He is also trained to track and can find suspects or missing persons.

Officials said they are proud of Mac after his first drug arrest.

Franklin said allegedly on Monday at around 1:30 p.m. the department received a call from a resident who witnessed a man receive a bag of marijuana in the parking lot of Brookshire Brothers. She gave officers a description of the man car and license plate number.

Franklin said officers pulled over the suspected car for investigative reasons and asked for consent to search the car.

“He denied any of it and denied consent and at that point I ran my dog around the vehicle and he made an alert on the on the vehicle,” he said. “We opened the vehicle and found it in the center console, marijuana less than two ounces and some (hydrocodone) pills.”

Officers arrested 23-year-old Kiara Cook for the drugs, and charged him with possession of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana under two ounces. A female passenger was also arrested for warrants.

Officers said Mac went straight to the hidden drugs.

“We know he is going to find it,” Franklin said. “I had no doubts about that ... throughout his training he found everything, even the hard finds — he found stuff up high and down low.”

Mac is trained to protect his handler and other officers in emergency situations, but department officials said he is not an aggressive dog.

Police Chief Reece Daniel said he insisted if the department purchased a dog, it needed to be one they could take to schools and allow children to pet.

“I did not want a dog that would bite,” Daniel said. “If the school wants us to do locker searches and things like that, we can do that without danger to the kids.”

Tonya Harris, crime prevention officer, said Mac will soon be making his way around town with appearances at Kiwanis and the Rotary Club. She said letting people know the city has a drug and tracking dog will be a preventive measure for crime.

Police officials said the new canine officer would not be possible without donations from businesses in the city. Harris, who helped get sponsors for the canine program, said the sponsors were: M.J. And J.F Angle, Randy Gorham, the Jacksonville Rotary Club, D and L Tooling, Andy Fannette with Century 21, Bearden Furniture Store, Nathan and Lisa Jones, Austin Bank, Boren Conner Funeral Home, Bill McRae Ford, Crime Stoppers, Jacksonville Police Association, the Cherokee County District Attorney's Office and the Jacksonville Kiwanis Club.

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Good first day on the job

New Jacksonville police drug dog sniffs out a bust

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