Hitchcock County Sheriff’s Office Adds New K-9 Officer
Roco, Hitchcock County Sheriff’s Department’s Newest team member
Roco, a 6½-year-old Belgian Malinois, is the newest K-9 officer for the Hitchcock County Sheriff’s Office. The narcotics detection and tracking dog will begin certification training with Sgt. Damon before entering active service.
There’s a new dog in town, and Hitchcock County residents will likely be seeing more of him in the months ahead. Roco, a 6½-year-old Belgian Malinois trained in narcotics detection and tracking, has joined the Hitchcock County Sheriff’s Office, and officials are hoping his keen nose will help keep illegal drugs out of local communities.
According to Hitchcock County Sheriff Ryan King, the opportunity came about after Dundy County Sheriff KC Bang alerted him to a dog that was becoming available. An agency in Hoxie, Kansas, was losing its K-9 handler and needed to rehome the dog.
King said he spoke with the Rawlins County Sheriff, who highly recommended Roco and his abilities. Following those conversations, King and members of the department traveled to Kansas to observe the dog in action.
During the demonstration, Roco showed an impressive work ethic and drive, successfully locating narcotics and navigating obstacles with ease. Sheriff King said the department was confident the experienced K-9 would be a valuable addition to the agency.
Earlier this week, the Sheriff’s Office announced plans to raise money through a raffle to help purchase a K-9. At the time, officials estimated a new dog could cost nearly $14,000. However, Roco became an attractive option because of his much lower price tag of approximately $2,000.
Sheriff King said the department was able to use STOP grant funds to purchase the dog, allowing the county to acquire an experienced K-9 at a fraction of the expected cost.
Although the dog has already been purchased, the department’s planned raffle of a 1976 Triumph convertible will still take place. King said proceeds from the raffle will help cover ongoing expenses associated with the K-9 program, including Roco’s care, equipment, veterinary costs and handler training.
Roco will be partnered with Sgt. Damon, who will need to attend training and complete certification requirements with the dog before the team can begin working officially as a K-9 unit in Nebraska.
Until those certifications are complete, Roco can accompany deputies and ride with Sgt. Damon, but he cannot be deployed in an official K-9 capacity.
Officials describe Roco as a social dog with an extremely high drive and a strong desire to work. In addition to narcotics detection, he is trained in tracking. While he is not currently trained as an apprehension dog, department leaders believe he is an excellent fit for the agency and an ideal dog for a new handler.
Sheriff King said Roco is expected to have several productive working years remaining and will provide an important tool in the department’s efforts to combat illegal drugs.
The sheriff also hopes that simply having a drug-detection K-9 in Hitchcock County will serve as a deterrent to those involved in drug activity.
“We’re excited about the opportunity this brings to our county,” King said. “We’re looking forward to getting certified and putting Roco to work serving the people of Hitchcock County.”
Residents can expect to see Roco at community events and law enforcement activities as he begins his new role with the Hitchcock County Sheriff’s Office.
