K-9 Unit

Sgt. Jared Jordan
K-9 Unit Commander

The Cherokee Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit has been a full-time unit since 1989. Currently, the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office has seven K-9 Teams. Four of those teams are trained in narcotics detection, two are trained in explosive detection and one is a tracking dog.  Four of the K-9’s are also trained in patrol/apprehension.  The Cherokee Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit currently consists of a Sergeant, a Corporal (assigned to UPD) and five deputies. All of the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office K-9’s are from overseas and receive their initial through the Sheriff’s Office K-9 handler school.  After the K-9 team’s initial training, the teams receive extensive weekly training through the Sheriff’s Office K-9 team training program.

Sergeant Jared Jordan is the K-9 Unit Commander.

Corporal Matthew Verber has been a K-9 Handler since January 2014. Cpl. Verber is the handler of K-9 Bak.

Deputy Bryan Stark joined the K-9 Unit in 2016. D/S Stark is the handler of K9 X-ray. K9 X-Ray is a Belgian Malinois imported from Holland. K9 X-Ray is trained in the area of narcotics detection and police service dog.

Deputy Sullivan joined the K-9 Unit in 2018. D/S Sullivan is the handler of K-9 Xena, a Belgian Malinois imported from Holland. K-9 Xena is trained in narcotics detection, tracking, and article detection.

Deputy Joshua Reece joined the K-9 Unit in 2020. D/S Reece is the handler of K-9 Vader, a German Shepard from Croatia. K-9 Vader is trained in narcotics detection and police service dog.

Deputy Patrick Hansen joined the K-9 Unit in 2020. D/S Hansen is the handler of K9 Bako. K9 Bako is a German Shorthair Pointer / Labrador mix imported from Croatia. K9 Bako is trained in the area of explosives detection and is stationed at the Justice Center.

D/S Currie who joined the unit in 2021 and handles K9 Maggie, a Bloodhound trained in tracking.

Since 1990 the K-9 Unit has seized more than $24,000,000 in illegal drugs. The K-9 Unit is also responsible for assisting the Sheriff’s Office and police agencies within and around the county in many capacities, some of the functions they can perform are narcotics detection, explosives detection, locating missing/lost persons,  tracking fleeing suspects, evidence recovery, and educating the public.

A high priority for the K-9 Unit is education and public relations. Each year the K-9 Unit visits Cherokee County Schools, private schools, and county daycares, speaking to over 24,000 people a year. Some of the public functions include America’s Night Out Against Crime, Red Ribbon Week, career day, community helpers week, Neighborhood Watch Programs, and speaking with the Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of America.