Officials OK Purchase of K-9 Officer For The Gregg County Sheriff’s Office

The Gregg County Sheriff’s Office plans to buy a new dog with the help of the collected life insurance from a veteran canine unit.

Luctor, a German shepherd with about eight years of service in the sheriff’s office, died of a suspected heart attack in September while on patrol in a sheriff’s vehicle, Gregg County Sheriff Maxey Cerliano said. Luctor was 9 1/2 years old.

The Gregg County Commissioners Court on Monday approved accepting an $8,000 life insurance payment for the dog. The money is planned to go toward the purchase of a new cross-trained dog, and commissioners approved paying up to $13,000 for the new canine. Commissioners also approved a $5,000 grant application to the National Rifle Association Foundation that would help finance the sheriff’s office K-9 drug intervention program.

Cerliano said sheriff’s office staff have picked out a Malinois-Dutch shepherd mix named Duke. He said the office plans to buy the dog from the Four Winds Police Dog Center for about $12,400, which includes officer training with the dog. He said it will likely be a few months before the sheriff’s office has the dog.

Officials expect Investigator Tracy Freeman, Luctor’s handler, will work with the new dog.

Capt. Mike Claxton said the sheriff’s office has one other canine unit. The dogs and their handlers are placed on rotating day shifts and are on-call all the time, he said. The dogs are trained to sniff out drugs, search for suspects or missing persons and perform other tasks to assist law enforcement officers.

The commissioners also voted to donate surplus county equipment to the Parenting Resource Center.

Gregg County Judge Bill Stoudt said the equipment, including about 20 chairs, a few tables and two copiers, has either been replaced or no longer meets the county’s needs.

Stoudt said the county can choose to donate the extra equipment rather than auction it.

By Randy Ross

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