A Crime Busting Christmas Gift

CCSO photo

San Andreas, CA – Calaveras County received a crime-busting Christmas gift that will keep on giving for years to come and not strap the department’s budget.

The new four-legged deputy Storm, an 18-month-old German Shepard, is pictured in the image box with his new handler, Deputy Michael Jericoff. Sheriff’s officials say that according to his passport, Deputy Storm is a former resident of the Netherlands.

The pair recently received their Canine Handlers Course certification, which involves a strenuous 320-hour foundational course covering several subjects including tactical obedience, tracking, search techniques, and officer protection, among others. Storm’s specialty is suspect apprehension and detection of guns/ammunition.

With this addition, the patrol division is equipped with two certified canine teams. The other is Corporal Moser and K9 Nox. They also specialized in suspect apprehension, but Nox’s nose sniffs out illegal drugs like cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. Sheriff’s officials say the teams will work overlapping shifts, making them available every day of the week.

The cost of this new K9 team will not break the budget either since the Calaveras County Canine Unit orchestrated a T-shirt fundraiser in coordination with non-profit The Friends of Calaveras Sheriff’s Office to lessen the impact. The total cost was about $16,000 with Storm costing the sheriff’s half of that expense.

Along with citizens’ generosity, several local businesses also pitched in with significant donations. They include Spence Feed, Arnold Pet Clinic, A1 Sharpening, Century 21MM Dena Daluz, Gold Country Auto Body, Senders Market, A.G. Spanos Companies, Top Dog Police K9, Harrah’s Northern California, Realty World Valley Springs, and Oak Savanah. Sheriff’s officials say, “Their efforts allowed for the canine team’s expansion and will make the citizens of Calaveras County safer.”

Of note, Deputy Jericoff brings experience in canine handling, having previously worked as a canine trainer for a vendor in the central valley that specialized in police canines. He has been working with Calaveras Sheriff’s Office since February 2019.