For the week of July 4 - July 10, 2001

Dog hired despite money concerns

Voted down at first meeting, 
J.J. voted in at second

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By PETER BOLTZ
Express Staff Writer

Despite budget concerns, the Bellevue City Council approved a new addition to its marshal’s department.

Bellevue Sgt. Scott Smyth with the newest addition to the Bellevue Marshal’s Department, J.J. Express photo by Peter Boltz

J.J. is a 2-year-old purebred German shepherd who will serve as a drug interdiction dog for Bellevue under the supervision of Sgt. Scott Smith.

The dog was introduced to the council at its June 14 meeting, but his "hiring" was rejected in executive session.

J.J. was brought back before the council Thursday for its approval, but this time, Marshal Randy Tremble invited Blaine County Sheriff’s Sgt. Ron Taylor to help argue for J.J.’s joining the department.

Taylor has been the county’s dog handler for the past 11 years, paired up with his golden retriever, Lucky.

Before addressing the council, Taylor received condolences for the loss of Lucky on June 26 to an aneurysm--he was 12.

"How long do you think it would take you to search this room and the library for drugs?" he asked the council.

Councilwoman Joanna Ehrmantraut volunteered "several hours."

"Yes," Taylor agreed, "but it would take a drug interdiction dog a half hour."

He said that finding illegal drugs had been just part of Lucky’s job. Taylor said he was gentle with kids, citing the "very good PR" of visiting classes.

"We want to keep our kids off drugs," Taylor said.

He would take Lucky into kindergarten classes to teach kids about drugs, Taylor said, and even though they would pull on his ears, Lucky would not growl or shy away from the "attention."

The implication was that J.J. could be the same kind of dog.

"I would give my time to help train J.J.," Taylor said.

In Lucky’s lifetime, he made 783 searches for narcotics and grossed $11 million in narcotics seizures.

He also had five contracts out on his life.

Taylor estimated that Lucky cost the county $500 a year, but that cost did not include Taylor’s overtime when he and Lucky were called out by law enforcement agencies within and without the county.

And cost, just when the council is working on a new budget, came up in the discussion again and again.

Councilman Parke Mitchell got straight to the matter.

"As a budget item, I would not put this at the top of the list," he said, considering the city’s need for a fire chief and improved employee salaries.

He was also concerned that now that the county no longer had a drug interdiction dog, everyone in the county would call for Smith and J.J. The cost of their going out would fall on the city, he said.

Councilman Wayne Douthit had similar concerns.

"Can we afford this officer and dog going out?" he asked. "If we step into this, there’s no backing out."

Mitchell and Douthit voted against accepting J.J. into the department, and Ehrmantraut, George Moore and Dale Shappee voted in favor. Councilwoman Vivian Ivie was absent.

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