By Noah Haglund, Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention

Corrections Officer Raymond Gentz and his K-9 partner Koda smiled for the cameras on a bright, summery morning in early June.

The newly minted duo from King County was one of a half-dozen handler-dog teams celebrating the completion of a rigorous course in drug detection. They trained for six weeks with the State Department of Corrections, mostly in Spokane. Graduation took place at the DOC headquarters in Tumwater.

Now, Gentz and Koda form the first-ever K-9 team at the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention.

“The addition of this K-9 team is one more effort DAJD has taken to reduce impacts of overdoses on our residents and staff who are called to respond,” Director Allen Nance said. Read more.