Muskingum County
Sheriff's Office
K-9 Division
The Muskingum County Sheriff's Office commissioned it's first multi-purpose K-9 in 1998. The Office now has 4 dogs with three handlers.
Three of the current dogs are certified as narcotics / patrol dogs and the other a explosives / patrol dog. All of the dogs live and work with their handlers. Custom cruisers allow these dogs to ride in safety and comfort during their shifts. There is one K-9 and handler assigned to each of the three patrol shifts.
Our dogs have received various certifications, as mentioned above. A patrol dog is certified in the areas of building searches, evidence location, open area searches and criminal apprehensions. Narcotic dogs are certified in marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin. Explosive dogs are certified in the detection of all compound or materials that is likely to be used in the making of a bomb.
Here are some statistics on our K-9 units from 2003 to the present:
The K-9's have been involved in thirty-two (32) criminal apprehensions, including 2 murder suspects.
The Narcotics dogs have been involved in numerous drug searches since 2003. Here are some stats on their seizures:
9,208.75 grams of cocaine with a street value of $1,841,500.00
14,196.84 grams of marijuana with a street value of $68,393.80
1,537.7 grams of methamphetamine with a street value of $307,940.00
126.30 grams of heroin with a street value of $63,150.00
Cash seizures of $179,908.00
Total value of seized cash and drugs - $2,113,259