Leading by the nose
K-9 officer loves working in Oklahoma County jail
The newest officer at the Oklahoma County jail is doing the work of two or three people in a fraction of the time.
Han is a contraband-sniffing German shepherd who searches jail cells for drugs, cellphones and other smuggled items. He’s been on the job about a month with his handler and partner Sgt. Curtis Whittington.
Searching a single cell can take two or three officers 5 to 10 minutes, but Han can complete the search in 30 seconds with more accuracy, jail officials said.
He proved his skill on his first visit to the jail to meet staff by hitting on a small amount of marijuana.
“Now anytime me and him walk in a pod, the inmates will actually yell ‘drug dog out’ or ‘canine out,’” Whittington said. “They see us coming in, they start flushing.”
Smuggled contraband is a problem at jails nationwide, Oklahoma County Sheriff P.D. Taylor said at a news conference Wednesday to introduce Han.
“It can be anywhere from visitors to lawyers to preachers to employees,” Taylor said.
“We’re excited about our dog, Han,” he said. “It will make this a safer facility. It will be safer for the employees. It will be safer for the inmates.”
The sheriff thanked the Oklahoma City law firm Johnson & Biscone for donating the $15,000 to pay for the dog and the training.
Attorneys Bryce Johnson and Joe Biscone said Whittington came to them while trying to raise money for a jail K-9 unit and they were happy to support the project.
Whittington spent a month in Indiana with Han training at Vohne Liche Kennels, and continuing training at the state Department of Corrections program, where Han could learn about searching cells.
It’s different from searching cars, Whittington said. A jail has the smells of the inmates, lots of noise and an atmosphere that can be emotional.
Inmates try to distract Han any way they can, Whittington said, but the dog has learned to take his cues from his partner.
“He feels everything I feel,” Whittington said. “If it’s not safe for him, we’re not going in. His job is to find it. My job is to protect him.”
Han is 18 months old, 60 pounds and still growing. He was bred in
Hungary and can smell drugs up to 60 feet away.
“He loves to work,” said Whittington during a demonstration in a jail pod that has been closed for renovations. Han kept straining at the leash to get into cells.
The partners work Monday through Friday at the jail — changing shifts to prevent inmates from learning a routine. When the work is done, they go home together. Han is not just Whittington’s partner, but also a new member of his family.