MANTACHIE POLICE ADD NEW DRUG DOG

Mantachie - "Zako" exploded into a fury of tail wagging and sniffing,
responding happily to a pat on his head. Bouncy and jovial, the young
Belgian Malinois was excited to receive the attention his owner,
Mantachie Police Chief Terry Jones, was giving him.

Although young, "Zako" is the small town's newest and possibly best
defense against narcotic sale and use.

"This is a single purpose dog," Jones said as "Zako" settled at his
feet. "He is a drug dog."

Certified by the National Narcotics Drug Dog Association and National
Police Canine Association, "Zako" may be young, but he's already
packing a lot of experience. After receiving an initial eight weeks of
training on scents and drug detection, he began training with Jones at
the Little Rock Canine Academy and is ready for use in Mantachie's
schools.

In fact, "Zako" has already been introduced to Mantachie's schools to
build familiarity. According to Jones, the dog will be utilized on a
surprise basis, searching the school at unannounced intervals.

Jones commented that participating in the drug dog training was very
interesting, and he is confident that "Zako" will prove beneficial to
the town.

"They train us to basically read the dogs -- his body movements,
postures and how he's going to react," Jones said. As an example, he
explained how he can read the subtle movements of the dog to know
whether or not he has picked up the scent of drugs.

According to Jones, the dog comes at no cost to either the town or
county. Purchased completely with donations from members of the
community, "Zako" is a testament to the people of Mantachie taking a
stand against any drug use in their hometown.

"There are some people around here who think that we don't need a drug
dog in Mantachie, and say that we don't have a drug problem," Jones
said with certainty. "Well, we're not immune from drugs. We've got
them in our community just like the larger cities. And, the deal
where, if you're quiet about problems, they go away -- that doesn't
happen. We have to address our problems and take care of them."

In addition to fighting the troubles with narcotics, Mantachie Police
must operate with a small staff. Jones is hoping that "Zako's"
presence will help reinforce the small number of officers and make the
force stronger.

"We have the problem of being stretched thin," Jones said. "At any
given time, there's only one officer working. We needed the dog as a
deterrent against drugs."

Although "Zako" has already undergone rigorous training, Jones plans
to continue taking courses on handling and reading the dog to better
serve the town of Mantachie and Itawamba County as a whole. According
to Jones, law enforcement must be strong in the fight against drugs
and always be willing to help each other.

"We will go to any school in the county that needs our help," Jones
said. "'Zako' is here to help the county."