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TPSO K9 UnitThe Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office K9 Division handles a wide variety of tasks in protecting the citizens of Tangipahoa Parish. The K9 Unit has been an ever growing division within the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office. In 2004, Sheriff Daniel H. Edwards evolved this unit into a full time component of the sheriff’s office. Currently, this division is comprised of five specially trained deputies, their K9 companions and three bloodhound dogs.The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office maintains a professional K9 Unit which has proved to be a valuable asset to the daily operations of the sheriff’s office. The division consists of four patrol dogs, three bloodhounds, and one narcotics detection dog. Through the efforts of Sheriff Edwards, one K9 team is scheduled twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week to protect the citizens of Tangipahoa Parish. The K9 unit is called upon to fulfill many tasks within the department. Their services include criminal apprehension, building searches, area searches, evidence detection, narcotics detection, tracking missing persons, tracking fleeing suspects, crowd control and for protecting the lives of their handlers and other law enforcement counter parts. Each K-9 is assigned to a deputy and lives with that deputy and his/her family. In order to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the TPSO, continuous education is top priority. Each K9 dog is trained and certified by the USPCA, NNDDA and the NPCA. Reliability in job performance is of paramount importance when it comes to our K9's and their duties. Their ongoing proficiency training ensures each dog will act and perform according to expectations and standards. Working towards that goal, all handlers and their dogs exceed the number of expected hours for monthly maintenance training. The TPSO K9 team literally saves hundreds of man -hours each year searching for criminal suspects and missing persons. Our canines, with the use of their enhanced sense of smell, can search a location in a fraction of the time that it would take a deputy or search team, therefore allowing our resources to be back in full service in a timely manner. The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office mainly uses Belgian Malinois and German Shepherds as our K9 companions. These dogs are imported from Europe and will typically join the Sheriff's Office when they are between 1-3 years old. We have found that European dogs have a strong work ethic and provide our community the best return for the investment in time and money that a canine team requires. Each K9 must complete 420 hours of training with its handler/deputy to be certified as a law enforcement canine. Once certified, the canine is given its own Sheriff's Office personal identification number and badge. Our dogs are a treasured part of the sheriff's office. To that end, state law helps protect law enforcement canines by making it a felony to injury or kill a police dog. Our K9 Unit not only works diligently to provide Tangipahoa Parish the protection they deserve, they continuously work to maintain a favorable relationship within the parish by actively participating in community events. This team spends numerous hours within our parish schools educating our youth about drugs and prevention. They also work with many elderly task force groups and provide general K9 demonstrations when ever possible. Sgt. Thomas Ferrand, K9, Supervisor, SRT Sgt. Thomas Ferrand, Supervisor, K9, SRTSgt. Ferrand received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice from Southeastern Louisiana University in 1998. That same year, he began his law enforcement career with the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office as a Criminal Patrol Deputy. In 2000, he transferred to the TPSO Narcotics Task Force where he worked for four years. Within that time, Sgt. Ferrand was assigned to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in New Orleans, LA where he spent numerous hours working as an undercover agent. From October of 2005, Ferrand began his tenure with the TPSO K9 Unit. He was awarded the title of Sergeant in 2006 and supervisor in 2008. Sgt. Ferrand currently holds the team leader position on the Special Response Team (SRT) with the TPSO Office. Sgt. Ferrand worked with K9 companion Kazon (nickname Hammy) for five years until his retirement. Kazon is 9 years old and is a Belgian Malinois. Kazon was responsible for seizing over 50 lbs of marijuana, 13 kilo’s of cocaine and numerous illegal weapons. Sgt. Ferrand now works with K9 Diego. Diego was purchased by Sheriff Edwards in July of 09. He has since been Nationally Certified in Patrol Work is actively woeking wilth Sgt. Ferrand. Diego has been a pleasant addition to the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office. Awards and Accomplishments (Sgt. Ferrand and K9 Companion Kazon): o Certified in Narcotics Detection by the United States Police Canine Association o Certified in Narcotics Detection by the National Police Canine Association o Certified in Narcotics Detection by the National Narcotic Detection Dog Association o 2006 – USPCA Trials – Kazon placed 1st for the Rookie Team for Region 10 and placed 5th overall in the competition. o 2008 – Criminalistic Excellence Award by the USPCA for “Catch of the Quarter”. Deputy Michael Dean Jr., K9 Deputy Michael Dean Jr. Deputy Dean Jr. began his law enforcement career with the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office in June of 2001 as a Corrections Officer in the TPSO Jail. During this time, Deputy Dean served as a member of the TPSO Bloodhound Chase Team. In February of 2004, Deputy Dean was transferred to the TPSO K9 Unit and began working with K9 Emir. Emir is a German Shepherd and was only 18 month old when they began working together. At 6 yrs old, Emir has apprehended 13 criminal suspects by K9 bite and over 30 apprehensions without bites. In 2006, Emir was responsible for seizing approximately $176k in US Cash Currency from a single traffic stop. Emir’s nickname is the “Screaming Demon”. Awards and Accomplishments: o Certified in Narcotics Detection by the United States Police Canine Association o Certified in Narcotics Detection by the National Police Canine Association o Certified in Narcotics Detection by the National Narcotic Detection Dog Association o 2006 USPCA Region 10 Fourth Place Winner o 2008 NUSPCA Dog Trials in NC – Awarded a National Certification. This is the first time in history of the TPSO that we have a Nationally Certified K9. o 2008 – Received the Criminalistic Excellence Award on two occasions for outstanding performance and detection in fighting crime. o 2009 - First Quater recipiant of the Criminalistic Excellence Award for outstantanding performance and detection in fighting crime. In June of 2009, the duo will be competing in the Annual Regional Dog Trials in Monroe, LA. Deputy Henry Neihaus, K9 Deputy Henry P. Neihaus, K9, SRTDeputy Neihaus began his law enforcement career with the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office in September of 2000 as a Corrections Officer in the TPSO Jail. In 2002, he graduated from the LSU P.O.S.T. Academy and was transferred to the Criminal Patrols Division as a full time Traffic Deputy. For the past two years, Deputy Neihaus serves a Criminal Interdiction Deputy and additionally serves on the Special Response Team (SRT). He and his K9 companion Trigger are assigned work the streets of parish with the intention to locate and eliminate the transportation of illegal drugs and weapons from our highways. Deputy Neihaus and Trigger are responsible for seizing over1.3 million dollars of US Currency and illegal narcotics from routine traffic stops. Trigger, a 3 year old German Shepherd was imported from Amsterdam, Holland. Awards and Accomplishments: o Certified in Narcotics Detection by the United States Police Canine Association o Certified in Narcotics Detection by the National Police Canine Association o Certified in Narcotics Detection by the National Narcotic Detection Dog Association In June of 2009, Deputy Neihaus and Trigger will be participating in the USPCA National Narcotics Trials in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Deputy Albert Sharp, K9 Deputy Albert Sharp, K9Deputy Sharp began his law enforcement career in 2000 with the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office as a Patrol Deputy. During his tenure with the WPSO, he served as a member of the SWAT Team. In 2005, Deputy Sharp transferred to the Abita Springs Police Department as a Sergeant and in 2006 to the St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office as a Patrol Deputy and a member of the STPSO SWOT Team and DWI Task Force. Sharp began his career with the TPSO in 2008 and currently holds the position of Criminal Patrol Deputy – K9 Unit. Deputy Sharp works with K9 Titan. Titan is an 18 month old German Shepherd. Titan is the newest member of the TPSO K9 Unit and has already actively working the streets of our parish. Awards and Accomplishments: o Certified in Narcotics Detection by the United States Police Canine Association o Certified in Narcotics Detection by the National Police Canine Association o Certified in Narcotics Detection by the National Narcotic Detection Dog Association o Deputy Sharp is certified in tactical pursuit driving (LIDAR), Gang Graffiti Interpretation and Biker and Street Gang Forensics. In June of 2009, Deputy Sharp and Titan will be participating in the Annual Regional Dog Trials in Monroe, LA. |
