Bibb County Sheriff’s Office welcomes new K-9

CENTREVILLE, Ala. ( WIAT ) — The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, elected officials, Alabama Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth and Spectrum representatives introduced K-9 Ari the newest member of the department Friday.

Spectrum donated the 2-year-old Dutch Shepherd in honor of Bibb County deputy Brad Johnson, who died in the line of duty nearly two years ago. Bibb County Sheriff Jody Wade said it was a big day for his department.

“I appreciate the generous donation from Spectrum that has made this possible to restart our program after the tragic murder of our K-9 handler deputy Brad Johnson,” Wade said. “We are glad to carry on the work he started and continue the program he made good. It’s been a tragic loss to our office and the citizens of Bibb Count. We all knew him and loved him.”

The new four-legged officer and his handler, deputy Brad Taylor, started their journey as a team earlier this spring with 12 weeks of intense specialized training. They recently passed their certifications, graduating with their class and are now on the job at the sheriff’s office. The team will help combat illegal drug activity, track suspects and locate missing people.

“We need all the tools we can get to help us fight the crime we are dealing with,” Wade said. “So anything we can get like a new K 9 drug dog and a tracking dog — dual purpose dog — that will help us curb the crime and stopping some of the drugs that come through and protecting the citizens of Bibb County.”

Spectrum’s donation of nearly $17,000 via Cahaba Valley Health Services facilitated the acquisition of K-9 Ari, equipment and training for him and his handler. Kevin Keithley from Spectrum said being involved in this project is rewarding.

“This is my favorite part of my job: to work with law enforcement agency in need after the tragic loss of deputy Johnson, and so Bibb County Sheriff’s Office was in real need of a new K-9, and we were able to facilitate that,” Keithley said. “I know firsthand coming from a career in law enforcement how important a K-9 is to a department to help combat crime.”

Wade said the new K-9 and his handler have already worked 12 cases, including narcotics and search warrants assisting other agencies.

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