Crook County gets new K-9 to nip crime

A brand-new teammate clocked into work at the Crook County Sheriff’s Office on Monday. His resume includes a nose for crime and a passion for toys.

“He’s just a big ball of energy, bouncing off the walls,” said Deputy Mitch Madden.

His name is Jett, a 1-year-old black Lab who is the county’s first drug-detection dog in several years.

Madden, Jett’s handler, said he personally picked the dog out from a vendor in California. The new K-9’s journey to Prineville was more than a year in the making. He was brought to the county after the community raised about $20,000 for Jett, his gear and training.

“When I was driving back from California, I was saying to myself, ‘Wow, I can’t believe this is actually happening,’ Madden recalled. “I’m excited, and I can’t wait to get him out there and put him to work.”

It’s clear from the get go that it was no rough first day for the K-9.

“He loves to play, he wants to play,” Madden said. “He likes to make sure he appeases me.”

But the job is no joke. When Jett is approved to hit the streets in a few weeks, he’ll be busy sniffing out drugs like meth, heroin and cocaine.

“He’s going to be a huge asset to our office,” said Sheriff Jim Hensley. “We have a controlled substance issue in Crook County.”

In the meantime, Jett is getting to know his new co-workers and working on perfecting his game.

“The overall goal is for him to associate the odor of the drug that he is trained on with receiving his play toy,” Madden said.

The sheriff’s office is planning on hosting a community-wide meet and greet with Jett, but has not yet announced a date or time.