Sheriff Praises the DC K-9 Unit

During my 40 years in law enforcement, I have been very fortunate to work with some dedicated and professional officers. Since being elected Sheriff, I have done my best to continue that practice and have, what I believe, is the finest staff in the State of Georgia. Each one is important to the operation of the department but I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to a few special ones. They are:

• Lieutenant Michael Barnhill and Deputy Ace
• Lieutenant Billy Lashley and Deputy Milo
• Deputy Clint Adams and Deputy Charon
• Deputy Ryan Cadwell and Deputy Boogie
• Deputy Bryan Tolbert and Deputy Hero
• Deputy Josh Skinner and Deputy Falco

which is, of course, the department’s K9 Unit. This unit is made up of five full service dogs and one explosive detection dog. They serve the citizens 24 hours a day in a variety of functions.
    Lieutenant Michael Barnhill is the Commander of the K9 Unit and ensures that each team is functioning at peak efficiency through a system of ongoing training and practice. All of the K9’s are totally dedicated to their work and thrive on the daily activities that they are involved in. The full-service dogs are trained in a variety of duties including, narcotics detection, criminal apprehension, officer protection, tracking and article searches. Unlike K9’s from 25 years ago, the dogs are very social and function well with children and the general public. They are, however, serious law enforcement staff with a tremendous desire to succeed in whatever task they are given.
    Each K9 team is strategically assigned to different shifts to ensure their availability 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. K9 teams assigned to patrol shifts handle routine calls and respond to a variety of incidents as needed. They specialize in tracking and apprehending suspects who flee from the scene of criminal activity and the dogs enjoy showing off their skills to community groups around the county. Another K9 team is assigned to work crime interdiction along I-20 as part of the F.I.N.D. Unit. Their main concentration is to intercept criminal activity such as drug couriers, stolen vehicles, fleeing felons, etc… while moving through Douglas County. Finally, there is the explosive detection K9 team. Lieutenant Billy Lashley was partnered with his K9, Milo, after the Sheriff’s Office received a grant to cover the costs associated with the team. They are part of a network of explosive detection K9 teams covering North Georgia through a cooperative agreement with the Georgia Department of Homeland Security.
    This select group of officers and their partners continue to serve this community in a very special capacity and perform duties that Deputies alone cannot do. Over the past 10 years they have apprehended hundreds of criminals, seized millions of dollars in illegal drugs, located valuable evidence and rescued hundreds of people who were in danger. They are truly public servants in every way and I am so proud to have them as part of this agency. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers each day.

Phil D. Miller, Sheriff