Worldwide Canine Wall of Fame

"KIMBO"  Wichita County SO

Male Belgian Malinois   Dual Purpose Police Dog

Photo by: Torin Halsey / Wichita Falls Times Record News

Bust

2 lbs of marijuana,
Meth, Gun, $830 Cash, plus car.

Bust

from: 
TimesRecordNews
Wichita Falls, TX

K-9 officer Kimbo is on the job

By Jessica Langdon
Posted October 22, 2009

Wichita County’s new K-9 officer gave his partner, Deputy Josh Brown, the signal he needed to search a car he stopped early Tuesday morning, and the search led to two arrests on chemical possession charges, Sheriff David Duke said.

Kimbo, a 1-year-old Belgian Malinois, has been on the job since September.

Brown stopped a blue 1997 Mercury on Highway 79 at Goodman Road about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday. It wasn’t staying in one lane, Duke said.

Brown asked the driver about the presence of anything illegal, including weapons or drugs, in the vehicle, and the driver said there wasn’t anything, he said…

He asked [suspect] for consent to search the vehicle, and “[suspect] hesitated and then refused,” a probable cause affidavit reads.

“Both individuals were acting nervous,” Duke said. The deputy patted down both to check for weapons.

Backup arrived, and Brown took Kimbo around the vehicle in what Duke called a “free air search.”

The dog’s response indicated the presence of drugs, Duke said.

“That gives us automatic probable cause to search the vehicle,” he said.

According to the affidavit, the search revealed a digital scale, plastic bags with residue, 14 lithium batteries, two gallons of Coleman camp fuel, two plastic funnels, three plastic buckets, filters, shop towels, and other items.

Digital scales are often used in weighing illegal drugs, Duke said. The other items included ingredients for making methamphetamine and equipment used in the process…

Both men were charged following the search with possession of certain chemicals with intent to manufacture a controlled substance…

Duke described the case as Kimbo’s first drug lab find.

“This is obviously what this dog was bought for,” he said. When Kimbo made his public debut Oct. 1, Duke described the K9 officer as a tool in the fight against drugs in the community. Funds from seizures in previous cases went toward buying a new dog for Wichita County following the death of 4-year-old K9 officer Clif in May. The Wichita County District Attorney’s Office made a donation, and several others in the community also made contributions.

The Sheriff’s Office plans to keep focusing on people who are making drugs, Duke said.

from: 
TimesRecordNews
Wichita Falls, TX

New Wichita Co. K-9 reports for duty
Seized drug money helps pay for dog

By Jessica Langdon
Posted October 1, 2009

Like any dog, Kimbo relies a lot on his nose.

Kimbo, a 13-month-old Belgian Malinois, will sniff out drugs. He will help during searches for people and take on other duties as the Wichita County Sheriff’s Office’s new K-9 officer.

“He knows his odors. He knows what he’s supposed to do,” his handler, Deputy Josh Brown, said. Brown said his mission is to make the dog streetwise, getting him used to the sights and sounds.

The duo returned Saturday from a two-week basic handler’s course, and Kimbo has started work.

Brown came to Wichita County from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office in January, bringing his K-9 partner Clif with him. Clif’s death during a dental procedure in May came as a shock and left the office without a K-9 resource.

Thursday, Brown and Sheriff David Duke introduced Kimbo to a crowd. This dog is a tool in the fight against drugs, Duke said.

The Sheriff’s Office had help from several people to pay $10,500 to add Kimbo to the force.

District Attorney Barry Macha has been instrumental in the development of the K-9 program, Duke said. The office contributed $2,000 in seizure funds toward a replacement, on top of funding equipment.

“It’s pretty amazing when the drug dealers in town are the ones buying us a new drug dog,” Assistant District Attorney Tony Fidelie said.

Duke pointed to a partnership among the DA Office’s Drug Enforcement Division, deputies and the WCSO’s K-9 program. He said he hopes to add a second dog soon.