Sarge in Charge: Salida’s Star K9 Officer
Since beginning his service in the spring of this year, Sarge – Salida’s resident K9 officer – has been one busy pooch.
Sarge, a 3-year-old Dutch Shepherd, had his first deployment on April 21. Since then, Sarge and his handler, Officer Alec Coscarella, have been deployed a total of 46 times. Here’s a closer look at Sarge’s accomplishments so far over the past 8 months:
- 42 of his 46 deployments took place in the city limits of Salida, alongside the Salida Police Department
- His four other deployments were in Chaffee County – two of these involved apprehending violent felons with the aid of the S.W.AT. Team, and the other two involved drug seizures
- 10 deployments involved tracking subjects (two for missing persons, eight for wanted suspects)
- One deployment was to locate an at-risk adult (missing person/runaway case)
- One deployment was for evidence recovery
- 35 deployments were drug related. Of these, 33 were on traffic stops while the other two were inside residences on search warrants
- A total of 20 arrests have been made on narcotics charges thanks to Sarge’s sniffer skills. These charges include four distribution of narcotics charges and two violent felons
It’s important to note that the above figures regarding arrests and narcotics are estimates, as certain cases can be difficult to track with 100% accuracy. These estimates are on the conservative end; Sarge’s actual number of accomplishments may be even higher!
Sarge and Officer Coscarella were chosen for this year’s Best Local Law Enforcement Officer award. While Coscarella is honored to receive the award, he acknowledged that the work he and Sarge do are part of a larger team effort that also includes the support and cooperation of the citizens of Salida. In his own words: “We strive for excellence in every interaction we have with the public.”
When not busy on the job, Sarge enjoys meeting new faces and getting a wash at Gone to the Dogs, one of his favorite hangouts.
You can follow Sarge’s latest activities on his own Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/CanineSarge/
