Owens Cross Roads Officer and K-9 rank high for narcotics detection in Georgia
Officer Jeff Graves and K-9 Officer Raven ranked 21st out of 96 competitors
Owens Cross Roads, Ala. (WAFF) - Owens Cross Roads Officer Jeff Graves and his four-legged partner Raven have just returned from training in Georgia with something to celebrate.
K-9 Officer Raven has been with the Owens Cross Roads Police Department for three years and is the first and only officer of her kind. She specializes in detecting narcotics and tracking.
Raven and Officer Jeff Graves, her handler, have just returned from Warner Robins, Georgia where they competed at the National Narcotic Detector Dog Association Annual Conference.
According to a social media post by the police department, Raven and Officer Graves were tasked with a few challenges at the conference. The team had to search a variety of buildings and vehicles as well as track down a “bad guy.”
Officer Graves said his tail-wagging, drug-sniffing partner finished the overall competition ranking pretty high compared to her other competitors.
”There [were] 96 dogs that represented their departments in the country and we placed 21st. She did very well and I’m very happy with our results. She is the star, not me,” said Graves.
Graves says these trials take a lot of preparation on top of the duo’s current training. He says the two take frequent trips to the department in Albertville to stay sharp on their skills.
“We go to Albertville Police Department and train with those guys every Wednesday and put in about four hours of work,” said Graves. “Anything that I have a problem with that concerns me to get my dog to the next level, I’ll bring that to the lead handler’s attention and we’ll pull it to the side and say ‘Let’s work on this’.”
Graves said the two do plan to return to the annual conference in Florida and 2025 with a goal of an even higher rank. Officer Graves also said he is very proud of his K-9 partner and dubbed her a “special kind of dog.”
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