BENTON COUNTY, Wash. – The Benton County Sheriff’s Office introduced its newest and youngest team member, Blaze, a 19-month-old Golden Retriever-Lab mix.
Deputy Brett Hanson, Blaze’s handler, explained Blaze’s primary role with the sheriff’s office.
“Her main purpose is to find electronics, phones, SIM cards, thumb drives, smartwatches, and anything that has the ability to store media. So we can use her with the Internet Crimes Against Children, we can use her in jail searches and we can use her on a major crime scene,” Hanson said.
Blaze is trained to detect triphenylphosphine oxide (TPPO), a chemical compound found in electronic storage devices. The Sheriff’s Office wanted a special K-9 like Blaze because of limited resources across the state.
“The need came because in the state of Washington, there was only two dogs before and they were on the west side. So the Seattle and Vancouver area. So if our Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force or any of the local detective agencies needed a resource like that, they had to schedule well in advance,” Hanson said.
In early November, Deputy Hanson traveled north of Indianapolis, Indiana to Jordan Detection K9 to meet Blaze and complete a two-week training program. The training helped him learn how Blaze communicates and finds storage devices.
Blaze continues to hone her skills even when she’s not on duty.
“She’s a food reward dog, so she eats out of my hand, she doesn’t eat out of a bowl. So even to eat breakfast in the morning, I’ve got to go hide devices and she’s got to find them. Same for dinner. So, you know, twice a day I’m hiding things and she’s got to find them,” Hanson said.
Deputy Hanson and Blaze also serve as resource officers for the Finley School District, where they are well liked by students and staff.
“Perfect fit at the school so she could be there as a school mascot and help the kids when they’re having a hard day or bad day. It’s fun just to see their smile,” Hanson said.
After work, Blaze goes home with Deputy Hanson, and he describes their relationship as a perfect match.
“She loves the snuggle, loves to cuddle and loves to be petted. So, t’s a good fit. She just chills with me on the couch. And when I go home, put the footrest up, she curls up,” Hanson said. “She gets a little bit of separation anxiety when I’m not around.”
Blaze and her training were paid for by the Benton County Sheriff Foundation.
