The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office is giving up one of its two patrol dogs, but she’s not going far.
County commissioners approved a resolution Wednesday declaring “Nix,” a female Belgian Malinois trained police dog that the department has used since 2018 as “surplus” and agreed to give her to the Lincoln City Police Department.
Because Lincoln City did not have a specially equipped vehicle for the dog, the county was able to sell its 2020 Dodge Durango K-9 unit to the city for $48,000 so Nix can get back to work as soon as her handler goes through six weeks of training.
“Surplus” sounds cold. But it’s just a bureaucratic technicality so the dog and vehicle can be transferred and sold. And, as usual during the coronavirus pandemic, it’s more complicated than that.
Nix’s handler for the past two years has been Deputy Derick Smith. He gave noticed in November that he’s accepted a job with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department and is leaving this month.
Out of 29 authorized patrol positions, the sheriff’s department has seven vacancies and two deputies on leave, said Lt. Karl Vertner. Commanders decided they could not afford to take a deputy out of patrol for the six weeks they would need to learn to become a police dog handler.
“That just wouldn’t work when I can barely keep two deputies on the road every day,” said Vertner, the sheriff’s office patrol commander.
The sheriff’s office is not without a police dog, however. It has a second dog, “Ghost” whose handler is Deputy Zachery Akin.
“Nix” will be Lincoln City’s second police dog, and police agencies in Lincoln County routinely share their services when their special services are needed. And that’s also why Lincoln County didn’t ask for Lincoln City to pay for her.
“We could have asked for something, but we didn’t feel it was appropriate to ask another an agency in the county” when we are able to share resources, Vertner said.
The sheriff’s office – like many law enforcement agencies across Oregon and the country – is struggling to fill positions. Civil unrest, the stress of coronavirus pandemic and the opportunities outside law enforcement are hollowing out many departments, Vertner said.
There is some help on the way.
Vertner said one new deputy starts next week, two more candidates are undergoing background checks, and four are ready to go through the background procedure. But new deputies must still go through 16 weeks of training at the state’s Police Academy – which is struggling to operate under Covid-19 protocols – and then another 16 weeks of local field training with a sheriff’s deputy.
And, then there’s the chance of being lured away during the process.
“There are multiple offers out to anyone who wants to become a police officer or deputy,” said Vertner.