Sheriff Richard Hickox led the retirement ceremony last week for Jax, the K-9 deputy who has served the Churchill County Sheriff’s office and the community for several years. He also performed the swearing-in ceremony, deputizing the new K-9 deputy, Bear.
Presented with a proclamation from the State of Nevada by Assemblywoman Robin Titus, Deputy Matt Timmons, K-9 handler, and Jax were acknowledged for their dedicated service to the community.
Hickox also introduced Sergeant Chris Thorne who is retiring soon and recognized him for starting the K-9 program in Churchill County. “Chris is the reason we have the K-9 here. There are a whole bunch of kids here in Churchill County who have a positive relationship with law enforcement simply because they got to meet Jax, or they got hugs from him.”
The sheriff explained that not only are the K-9 units used for finding drugs, but they are truly public service and public relations animals. Often when children are involved with law enforcement because their parents have been in and out of jail, they immediately want to talk to the dog. “We have kids who have an innate distrust of us in uniform and within minutes of meeting Jax they are hugging him,” said Hickox. “They are establishing a relationship with law enforcement, and they know they can come to us for help.”
Deputy Hannah Zamora is the new handler for K-9 Deputy Bear who was sworn in by Hickox. “Bear and Hannah just went through certification in Douglas County, pretty rigorous training for three weeks and then to Las Vegas for a conference to make sure they were up to speed on the latest training,” said Hickox. “They will carry on the legacy of the K-9 program that Chris Thorne, Sergeant Sweeny, and Matt Timmons have built, you have big shoes to fill.”
A special presentation was made by a former K-9 handler and retired law enforcement officer, Ray Gramlich who donated funding to buy the vest for K-9 Officer Bear.
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