When it comes to dogs and law enforcement there are several in the local jurisdiction. Bridgeport Police and he Harrison County Sheriff’s Department all have K-9 units.

 

The one thing each unit has in common is they all consist of drug sniffing dogs. If the situation ever arrived that a bomb-sniffing dog was needed, getting one to the area would be a bit of challenge.

 

That could possibly change. At Wednesday’s meeting of the Benedum Airport Authority, the governing body of the North Central West Virginia Airport, member and Harrison County Commissioner David Hinkle discussed a possible partnership with the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department to have such a dog in the local jurisdiction.

 

“We’ve had issues in the past where we’ve needed a dog to do bomb sniffing,” said Hinkle.

 

Hinkle talked about the potential partnership and how the dog, if acquired, would benefit the airport, which the TSA would like to see happen. It could also benefit the Harrison County School system and be used on a regional basis as situations arise, Hinkle and others said Wednesday.

 

According to Hinkle, after discussions with Sheriff Robert Matheny the thought is that a bomb sniffing dog could be acquired and trained for a cost of roughly $20,000. At Wednesday’s meeting, the Authority authorized $5,000 be made available toward that goal if the proposal moves forward.

 

Hinkle said the City of Clarksburg has agreed to provide a vehicle for use. Other entities would likely need to be formally contacted, such as the Harrison County Board of Education.  Hinkle said the BOE “seemed to be interested in” the idea. Whether they would provide funding has yet to be determined.

 

Matheny said he supports the idea, but said funding is a must.

 

“I was approached by (Commissioner) Dave Hinkle about this as it related to the airport and having a bomb dog readily available and willing to provide a service as needed,” said Matheny. “We would certainly entertain this if funding can be secured as this is something we didn’t’ budget for. It would have to receive funding 100 percent outside of the budget.”

 

The amount of funds would need to cover the cost of the dog, the dog’s training as well as that of training and expenses for the deputy chosen as its handler. Matheny said maintenance costs would also need to be considered.

 

If it moves forward, Authority President and Harrison County Commissioner Ron Watson said the deputy would almost certainly be part of the regular rotation of deputies doing patrol work in the county. He made that statement after Mike Romano, who serves on a consulting basis with the airport, suggested it might be a good idea to have the officer stationed at the airport.

 

“Unless the County Commission wants to authorize another $100,000 in salary for an individual I don’t think that’s going to happen,” said Watson.

 

Matheny said he likes the concept and is a proponent of K-9 units. He said the Sheriff’s Department currently has four teams. He believes, without looking much into it, a current deputy would be able to handle the duties.

 

“We would assess our resources to see if we could do it, but I think it’s possible,” said Matheny. “It would likely be a busy team; probably it would be called on from a regional basis quite a bit and it’s a responsibility we would be willing to take on if everything can be worked out.”

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows Airport Authority member David Hinkle, left, making a point as Airport Engineer Chad Biller of The Thrasher group listnes. Second photo is of Sheriff Robert Matheny, while Authority President Ron Watson is shown below.