FARMINGTON—There’s a new correctional officer at the Davis County Jail and he has a wet nose and whiskers. Copper is the first corrections K9 at the facility and his job is to sniff out drugs and other contraband inmates might be hiding.

The Belgian Malinois German Shepherd mix is 10 months old and the department got him Nov. 21. 

“A Centerville resident and business owner of Elite K9 Gear made a donation,” said Davis County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Lexi Johnson. “They’ve donated a few dogs for the county.”

Copper will find contraband items that shouldn’t be in the facility, she said. “General drugs and especially prescription drugs. He specializes in finding things that are illegal when deputies are conducting shakedowns. If they think there’s contraband in one section it makes it easier so the deputies don’t have to check every section.” 

Copper goes around the facility with his handler Deputy Sam Kirk, said Johnson. “He’ll go with the dog and search areas for drugs while he’s also doing some training. Once Copper has had some obedience training he’ll go to Utah POST to be detection certified. Salt Lake County used to have a corrections canine but for our area it is new.”

Deputy Kirk went through a testing process to become a handler, she said. “He passed the test. He’s always been interested in it. He used to work with K9s at the prison but he hasn’t been a handler here. We’re lucky we got him to come here.”

Johnson said Copper was just what they’d been looking for. “We needed a dog with a good temperament so that we didn’t have to worry about him biting the staff or inmates. He’s very stable and friendly but driven for his job.”

The K9 will have no interaction with the inmates, she said. “He’s strictly a working dog. We don’t want drugs or contraband but he also helps reduce the rate of recidivism. If inmates can stay clean it sets them up for success in the community.”

It holds them accountable, said Johnson. “If they know there’s a dog that can find drugs they’re less likely to keep them. If they don’t have drugs they can learn life skills and all the other things we hope for in rehabilitation.”

The department has been using the agency’s patrol dogs, she said. “But they’re out doing their calls for service. A full-time dog gives us support to do searches. We’re hoping to get a second dog in the future. An electronics sniffing dog that can find cell phones and other electronics the inmates shouldn’t have. We plan to expand after this initial dog.”

Johnson said the patrol dogs have been part of the K9 program that has been budgeted in the plan for 10 years. “We also got one from Animal Care of Davis County. One of the deputies discovered him during a service project and thought we could train an adoptable pet. He is a narcotics detection K9 officer and he’s already been successful.”

“We’re extremely grateful for the family’s donation,” said Stephanie Dinsmore, DCSO Media & Community Engagement Manager. “It’s made a massive difference in our corrections facility.”