By Ric Latarski, Rockdale, Ga. Citizen
CONYERS, Ga. -- Those who prowl the city of Conyers with crime on their mind need to be aware the law has long arms, and it also has a mouth full of teeth, furry paws and a cold nose.
The Conyers Police Department (CPD) K-9 Unit, that is officers and their dogs, recently attended the national certification program hosted by the Bartow County Sheriff’s Office where they received the highest level of certification awarded by the North America Police Work Dog Association (NAPWDA).
The NAPWDA is the most prestigious level of certification standards an animal and its handler can obtain.
The weeklong certification process resulted in the CPD K-9 units being awarded top certification in the areas of drug detection, suspect apprehension, evidence tracking and building searches.
Conyers introduced its K-9 Unit in 1998, and since that time, the K-9 unit has become an integral part of police operations.
CPD Deputy Chief David Cathcart said that during the period from September 2003 to September 2004, the K-9 units have been responsible for the seizure of 90 pounds of marijuana, 3.5 pounds of cocaine, 190 grams of methamphetamine and seven vehicles. They have assisted in making more than 200 arrests.
“The CPD K-9 Unit has also worked over 300 man hours with the Georgia State Patrol in joint drug interdiction efforts,” said Cathcart. “The K-9 units have been extremely successful in helping keep drugs off the streets of our community.”
The CPD has three K-9 units: Officer Kyle McGlamery and Bolo; Officer Jess Dillard and Shadow; and Lt. Kris Martel and Donnie.