BENTON POLICE 'LUCKY' TO ADD 2ND K-9 UNIT

The newest addition to the Benton Police Department is an 18-month-old
Belgian Malinois named Lucky.

Lucky joins Rudy, a five-year veteran, on the K-9 unit.

The K-9 unit is one of the major tools utilized by the department in its
efforts to eradicate drug use in Benton.

"With the addition of Lucky, we are able to have a K-9 unit on duty 24
hours a day," said Officer Brian Bigelow. When Bigelow and Lucky are not on
duty, then Officer Jeff Parsons and Rudy are.

"Lucky has a great temperament and loves attention," says Bigelow. "He
loves coming to work, and is always excited and ready to go. He has really
become a part of my family. He lives at my home and spends as much time
inside as he does outside."

Commonly referred to as "drug dogs," narcotic detector dogs are
enthusiastic, energetic working dogs that are trained to actively seek out
the odor of illicit narcotics or firearms. Both Lucky and Rudy are trained
to detect the following odors: marijuana, cocaine, heroin and
methamphetamine. Lucky is trained in area search on and off lead in
restrictive areas for the presence of humans. He is also trained in
building search to locate indoors or in covered structures the presence of
humans. His training has continued to include tracking the path of a human
on foot on varying terrains and conditions.

"Lucky can be used for tracking in the case of a missing child," states
Bigelow. "Or of course in tracking a criminal."

Both dogs will protect their handler and himself from physical threat.

"That is the only time that the dogs are allowed to disobey an order," said
Bigelow.

They will also apprehend on command, release on command and recall from
pursuit on command.

Lucky received his early training, such as obedience, in Guadalajara,
Mexico, before he was imported to the Little Rock K-9 Academy, where he and
Bigelow have been training together for the past couple of months.

The cost for adding Lucky to the roster of the department was about $8,000.
The funds for the entire purchase came through drug seizure money from
convicted drug dealers. That amount covered the cost of the dog, his
training and the handler's training. It also includes continuing lifetime
training for Lucky. Bigelow and Lucky can return to the Little Rock K-9
Academy two days a month for additional training as it becomes necessary.
In other words, if a new drug hits the streets of Benton, the department
can send handler and animal back to the training academy and have that
particular drug added to Lucky detection abilities.