SIKESTON, Mo. -- The Sikeston Department of Public Safety will welcome their new arson detection dog to the force.
Special investigator K9 Sammy will join the force on Monday, May 1st and will partner with Sikeston DPS Sgt. James Whitley. The accelerant detection canine and Whitley partnered together for a four-week canine training school. They graduated from Class No. 55 of the program.
Sgt. Whitley and K9 Sammy will be introduced at the Sikeston City Council meeting scheduled at 5 p.m. on Monday at the Sikeston City Hall.
They will even demonstrate their skills in front of an audience.
A press release from the City of Sikeston states, "According to the National Fire Protection Association, an estimated 280,000 intentional fires are reported to U.S. fire departments each year, with associated annual losses of 420 civilian deaths, 1,360 civilian injuries, and $1.3 billion in direct property damage. The actual number of arson fires and the amount of property damage is likely much higher, as arson is an underreported crime. Arson dogs played a crucial role in determining the cause of many of these fires."
Arson dogs or accelerant detection canines help with sniffing out and gathering evidence at these fires. This helps assist with criminal cases.
State Farm covered expenses for both the handler and the canine through a grant taking care of training, travel expenses, food and lodging. The estimated value for this was $25,000.
"We feel law enforcement officials should have every tool possible to combat this costly -- and sometimes deadly -- crime," said Heather Paul, National Arson Dog Program Coordinator for State Farm. “These K-9s enable investigators to do their job more efficiently and effectively. The scope of arson goes beyond impacting insurance companies � it affects the personal and financial well-being of us all. Training dogs to detect accelerants at fire scenes saves time and money in arson investigations.�
K9 Sammy is a 2 1/2-year-old yellow Labrador retriever, the release stated.
The program is fully funded by State Farm. The State Farm Arson Dog Program has brought in more than 450 canines in 46 states, three Canadian provinces and the District of Columbia.
Sikeston DPS received a grant earlier in January.
For more information about the Arson Dog Program visit their .
