SHERIFF'S OFFICE DRUG DOGS, HANDLERS RECEIVE RECOGNITION

LONGVIEW -Two top dogs at the Gregg County Sheriff's Office and their
handlers received awards at the National Narcotics Detector Dog
Association competition.

The competition was held in Jackson, Miss., and out of the 109 dogs
and handlers, the sheriff's K-9 interdiction investigator Tracy
Freeman and his dog, Luctor was awarded 2nd place and deputy Doug
Morgan and Bor finished 9th in the individual competition. The Gregg
County handlers and their dogs finished first place in the team
competition.

"We are very proud of our dogs and our deputies," Lt. Mike Claxton,
with the Gregg County Sheriff's Office said.

The dogs and instructors competing in the competition came from law
enforcement agencies across the United States. The training by the
NNDDA is required for K9 certification, and is a 40-hour block of
training that compels both dog and handler to perform at maximum
expectations,

"These K9s perform a valuable service to the sheriff's office, other
departments and to the citizens within and around Gregg County,"
Claxton said.

The dogs are not only used to search for drugs, but to track suspects
and help locate missing persons. The K9s also lessen the potential
for officer injury on dangerous assignments.

Recently the K9s put their skills to use in Gregg County when Luctor
found more than 150 pounds of marijuana in a motor home headed to
Florida. He also helped find an elderly man who wandered away from
his home.

Claxton said that in January Bor helped successfully track down two
fleeing felons.

"This is quite an accomplishment," Claxton said.