Clay County Sheriff’s Office welcomes newest squad member

CLAY COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The Clay County Sheriff’s Office welcomes its newest team member.

At two years old, he is also the youngest, but he’s already well-trained and ready to go to work.

Spike may be young, but he’s also skilled in sniffing out narcotics and tracking them.

This newest Deputy didn’t come cheap. The Sheriff’s Office raised over $20,000 through a gun raffle to pay for Spike, his equipment, and training.

His handler, Deputy Jimmy Pee said there was an instant bond between the two when they first met.

“I had seen Spike and those vibrations were giving off and we were instantly bonded. It was pretty unique,” said Pee.

Pee said that becoming a K9 handler was one of his biggest motivations for going into law enforcement.

After a diligent process to be selected as a handler, he completed a five-week training course and brought his new partner back home with him.

“When the position became available I expressed admiration that I wanted to do that and again it was up to him and he felt that I was a good fit for the job so I trusted in him and very grateful for the opportunity I was given to do what I am doing now,” said Pee.

Sheriff Eddie Scott said the department was looking for more than just another K9.

They were looking for one with good law enforcement skills and good people skills.

“When we were searching for a dog we wanted a dog that could do the job but at the same time have a demeanor where he can interact with the public,” said Sheriff Scott.

Since the passing of their last K9, the sheriff’s office has seen a decline in some areas.

“Our narcotics arrests have been down since we lost Bruno and I’m hoping to start seeing an increase in that. Plus we had that void of tracking. If we had a missing person I would have to call an agency from another county,” said Scott.

While Spike may still have that puppy energy, Deputy Pee said he is highly mature for his breed and he is looking forward to seeing their bond grow.

“He is highly trained in obedience and you know as he gets older, I’m going to do my part to train him and keep his energy level where it’s at,” said Pee.

Both Deputy Pee and K9 Spike are eager to start their regular patrols in Clay County.

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