The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office will hold a pinning ceremony Friday to celebrate the certification of two new School Resource Officer K-9 teams—the agency’s first rescue dogs trained specifically for narcotics detection in schools.
The ceremony begins at 1 p.m. on Aug. 7 at the Williamson County Animal Center in Franklin.
Scout, partnered with Deputy John Bevans, and Chet, partnered with Deputy Brandon Rivera, will officially enter service after completing months of specialized training. Chet was adopted from the Williamson County Animal Center, while Scout was rescued through Snooty Giggles Dog Rescue.
Both teams recently earned certification through the United States Police Canine Association while Deputies Bevans and Rivera continued serving full-time as school resource officers.
Once deployed, Scout and Chet will work in Williamson County schools to help detect narcotics, improve school safety, and build positive relationships with students and staff.
The Sheriff’s Office said the program was developed under the leadership of Deputy Chief Matt Gelfand, with Lieutenant Mike Grandy, Sergeant Hayden Smith, and Sergeant Amy Fann playing key roles in training and preparing the handlers and canines for certification. The agency also credited Williamson County Schools and the Franklin Special School District for helping integrate the program into local schools.
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