TDOC Partners With Bedford County Sheriff’s Office In Search Of Local Schools
NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) joined forces with the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) on Thursday, September 23rd to conduct a joint operation at two Shelbyville secondary schools.
Four canines and their handlers from the TDOC K9/Interdiction Unit assisted Sheriff Austin Swing, School Resource Officer Tracey Harvey, and multiple deputies from the BCSO to perform a proactive search of Community High School & Community Middle School – looking for controlled substances.
Students were taken out of the classrooms, leaving their backpacks and belongings inside. During the roughly hour long search, the canines made their way through the gymnasiums, locker rooms, auditoriums, and classrooms before heading out to the parking lot to perform vehicle checks. No controlled substances were located at either school.
“The Tennessee Department of Correction has always been a great friend and great ally of the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office,” said Sheriff Swing. “Anytime we have called them, they have always responded and we are grateful to them for that.”
The TDOC K9 Unit, comprised of 8 drug dogs and 13 tracking dogs, often assists other local law enforcement agencies in contraband searches as well as missing persons cases and locating fleeing felons around the state. The TDOC canine team has had 119 contraband finds to date in 2021at institutions statewide.
“Our department is always happy to assist our local law enforcement partners in whatever way we can,” said Commissioner Tony Parker. “School searches like these help protect our children, and the collaboration between agencies only make our communities stronger, safer places to live.”