Video: A New Crime Fighter Is On Patrol In Itawamba County

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FULTON, MISS. (WCBI) – Last year authorities in Mississippi investigated more than 400 bomb threats. There were several in our area and as WCBI’s Allie Martin reports, there is a new, specialized law officer who has a nose for sniffing out explosives and other devices meant to cause harm.

Captain Jason Dickinson and his partner are about to do some training.

Captain Dickinson has planted a mock explosive device on one of these vehicles and it’s Reeses job to find it. When she sits down, the captain knows she has sniffed out the explosives.

Reese was donated to the Itawamba County Sheriff’s Department by Homeland Security. The sheriff’s department has two drug and tracking dogs, but Reese, a lab and pit bull mix, is the county’s first dog trained to locate bombs.

“Like dynamite, nitrate, def cord, C 4 , all types of explosives, she’s able to find,” Capt. Dickinson said.

Reese and Captain Dickinson recently completed a 10 week intensive training course.

“They helped us work together and become a team, make sure we could work together, I could read off her and she could read me,” he said.

Reese can also be called on to locate weapons at crime scenes. She will be deployed anytime there is a bomb threat in Itawamba County or surrounding areas.

“We look at it like this, we want to be able to take care of our county with every resource we have , the first 48 hours is the most critical in any situation you’re involved in and we will make sure itawamba county can call and have somebody there within a moments notice and we can help out in this area,” Capt. Dickinson said.

And unlike the other two K 9s, Reese is great with kids and can do demonstrations at area schools and other events.

“I have taken her to schools, the kids love her , she’s one you can pet, where our other dogs you can’t pet, but Reese is one kids can actually touch and for a little kid to get to say I touched a police that’s a lot to them,” he said.

Captain Dickinson estimates the county’s newest crime fighter can help detect bombs and perform other valuable duties for the next 7 or 8 years.