DEPUTY, 'PARTNER' WIN TOP HONORS IN NATIONAL EVENT

A Lincoln County narcotics officer and his canine assistant were recently
named "top dog" at a national competition.

Dustin Bairfield and his drug dog Ricky won the overall competition at the
National Detector Canine Trials in Huntsville, Ala., April 21-24. The event
is sponsored by the U.S. Police Canine Association and is the highest level
of competition and narcotics officer certification.

"It's a real honor," Bairfield said about winning. "Not only Lincoln
County, but Mississippi got recognition."

The competition featured 81 narcotics dog and handler teams that were
certified and 11 explosives dog and handler teams from across the United
States. In the overall competition, Bairfield and Ricky scored a 198 out of
a possible 200 score.

"It's a combination of indoor searches and vehicle searches," Bairfield
said in describing the competition.

Bairfield and Ricky, a Belgian Malinois, placed fourth in the vehicle
search category but were not among the top six in indoor search. Still, the
team's composite score was enough to give it the overall victory.

Fellow Lincoln County Narcotics Officer Chris Picou and his dog Rico, also
a Belgian Malinois, placed 14th overall. Together, he and Bairfield won the
canine team region competition in a limited field that included teams from
the same department.

Both the dog and handler are graded by judges selected from around the
country, Bairfield said.

"They're critiquing you and the dog," Bairfield said.

The dog is judged on items like motivation and alertness, while the handler
is graded in areas such as handling, enthusiasm and ability to understand
the dog's signals. Other graded areas included consistency and thoroughness
in search patterns.

To qualify for the national competition, a team must finish the top four in
a regional competition. Mississippi alone is region 26, but some regions
include several states.

Bairfield and Ricky finished fourth in the regional competition and had
their expenses paid by the regional association. Picou and Rico finished
fifth but were able to go to the national when a canine team from Pike
County, which finished third, was unable to attend

Picou, who was out of town visiting an ill relative last week, believes his
other narcotics dog Belle is stronger at narcotics detection. Belle is a
Labrador and more methodical in her search work, the officer said.

However, to have his expenses covered, Picou had to take Rico since he was
used in the regional contest. Nevertheless, he was happy with his and
Rico's Top 20 finish.

"He did very well," Picou said. "I was very pleased with him."

Regarding scores, there was only a .33-point difference between Bairfield's
overall top score and the second place finisher. There was only a
four-point difference between Bairfield's and Picou's score of 194.

The narcotics officers said everyone participating in the competition is good.

"You're competing against the best," Picou said.

Bairfield said it's an accomplishment just to get to compete, and the
national certification that comes with it is a good goal to meet.

"National certification by itself is something a lot of canine handlers
want," Bairfield said.

Bairfield said the national certification is significant in court cases. He
said the high level of certification is one less thing a defense attorney
can use to "jab" at an officer while trying to discredit him.

Sheriff Lynn Boyte praised Bairfield and Picou and said the canine program
is a big part of the local law enforcement picture. He said Picou focuses
on the interstate while Bairfield concentrates more in other parts of the
county.

"They work together as much as possible," Boyte said. "What they're doing
is taking drugs off the street and making them harder for citizens to obtain."

Boyte also pointed out improved law enforcement by utilizing money seized
from drug operations to purchase needed equipment and other items. The
sheriff said it's a "win-win situation."

"It works tremendously in our favor," Boyte said. "By doing that, it allows
us to do some things we ordinarily couldn't do."

After finishing fourth in a regional canine competition for patrol work,
Picou is looking forward to a national competition in October. The patrol
contest grades dogs in areas such as obedience, agility, bite work and
criminal apprehension.

Pointing out that Brookhaven Police Department office Clint Earls and his
dog finished sixth in the regional, Picou said there are some quality law
enforcement animals locally.

"We have some pretty strong dogs here," Picou said.

Boyte said honors like Bairfield's speaks well for the department. "Anytime
you can bring recognition with the canine program, it just adds to our
ability to get the job done," Boyte said.

Picou added that none of the competitors knew where Lincoln County was when
he and Bairfield arrived in Huntsville.

"When we left, they knew where we're at," Picou said. "That makes you feel
good."