Drugs and four-legged friends don't mix. K-9 officers Mendi, Roy, Troy, Sem, and Snoopy are on a mission to "sniff" out the use and dealing of narcotics in schools. You can spot these furry friends on any given day at any given school searching for illegal drugs. They bring along their trainers as well, K-9 Officers Eddie Orozco, Ralph Nickels, James Tatum, Phillip Deal, and Patrick Linam, respectively. These canines are doing their own kind of "pushing" - they are pushing K-9 trading cards - and they want every kid in the district holding a set in their backpack. These dogs mean business.
K-9 Mendi (pronounced Men-die), the only female in the group, is a two-year old German Shepherd. Her handler, Officer Eddie Orozco, has six years experience in handling canine narcotic dogs. Mendi does not get along with other dogs but likes playing with Orozco's children, and is very protective of them, especially his 11-month old. "Being a parent, I know that I can make a difference in the school community by preventing a student from taking narcotics just by walking around the campus with my partner," said Orozco. "My partner and I can make an impact on someone's life. As far as narcotics is concerned, drug use in high school and middle school is about the same."
K-9 Roy is a four-year-old Belgian Malinois. Roy is rare because of the smoke color around his nose and mouth. Roy has helped his handler, Officer Ralph Nickels, give presentations to more than 20,000 students. Roy works hard and loves searching for illegal drugs, as well as meeting new friends. "We wear tactical uniforms because we often have to get under cars or dig through them or tear apart lockers and equipment. It can be a dirty job," said Nickels. "I graduated from this district. I want to be out there taking narcotics out of the schools."
K-9 Troy is a three-year-old Belgian Malinois who enjoys spending time with children, particularly EPISD students. Troy is his own person, a four-legged human being who has moods just like the rest of us says his handler Officer James Tatum. "I really appreciate the opportunity to be in this unit," said Tatum. "When I first saw the K-9 unit in action, it looked simple but there's a lot more to it - a lot more responsibility. I enjoy the challenge and it is always changing."
K-9 Sem is a German Shepherd from Germany who loves his El Paso home. His most notable seizure was 70 pounds of marijuana in one vehicle. Sem is a big, fuzzy Chihuahua who loves to lay in your lap says his handler Officer Phillip Deal. "I've never been a proponent of drug use - I had two friends die from overdoses," said Deal. "This job allows me flexibility in that I get to work with kids and get drugs off the campuses at the same time. I could never go back to regular patrol. It's also nice having a "silent" partner! Kids and parents can contact me at K9Deal@hotmail.com."
K-9 Snoopy, the department's first K-9 officer, is a six-year-old black Labrador Retriever who has been with EPISD PD five years. Snoopy has found more than 90 pounds of marijuana, two kilos of cocaine, and many other dangerous drugs. Snoopy is always ready to go to work and he's always making me laugh says his handler Officer Patrick Linam. "I'll give you an example of what our presence does in the schools," said the officer. "One of our K-9 officers drove up to a school to make a complementary visit - not to make a search. One of the students who was holding a baggy of marijuana, instead of waiting to be arrested, went and turned it in to the Assistant Principal. This is a good example of our presence and our reputation for finding drugs."
The group just returned from recertification/canine training sponsored by the National Narcotic Detector Dog Association. A total of 301 teams were present (301 dogs, 301 officers). Out of those 301, 160 competed in a final competition and all five EPISD teams came in under 100.
"We knew a number of police departments throughout the country including our own El Paso Police Department that were using trading cards to showcase their department and some of the units within that department," said Police Chief Jara. "We felt that our students would also benefit from the cards. The cards are given to students at presentations or anytime a student asks a K-9 team for them. Cards are also available at Police Services."
The K-9 unit's goals are not just to search classrooms, lockers and vehicles, but to protect the future by keeping schools, communities and all students safe and free from Danger and Drugs. If only dogs could talk.
