MARC JACOBS
Hutch Post
RICE COUNTY, Kan. — The Rice County Sheriff’s Office is working to establish a K-9 program and has begun receiving community donations to help make the program a reality.
According to the sheriff’s office, the effort was started by Leon Boyea, owner of Brew 56 and a sergeant with the department’s Reserve Deputy Program. Boyea began reaching out to gather community support after seeing the benefits a trained law enforcement K-9 can provide.
The sheriff’s office is seeking a dual-purpose K-9 that would be trained for several law enforcement duties, including tracking missing people or fleeing suspects, locating evidence, detecting narcotics and assisting with criminal apprehensions when necessary.
Officials emphasized that the K-9 would be another tool available to deputies and would not be used on every call. Its deployment would depend on the circumstances and would follow department training, policies and applicable laws.
The sheriff’s office said the K-9 could provide an important resource for a rural law enforcement agency, particularly when searching for missing children or other people, locating evidence, detecting illegal drugs or helping deputies safely handle dangerous situations.
Several donations have already been received toward establishing the program.
The sheriff’s office thanked those who have contributed and credited Boyea with taking the initiative to begin the effort.
Anyone interested in donating to the Rice County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Program is asked to contact Boyea for additional information.