Sgt. Ron Bell poses with his wife, Aimee and daughter, Payslee.
The Churchill County Sheriff’s Office K-9 corps has been getting a good workout.
Sheriff Ben Trotter said the K-9 program consists of three deputies and their dogs. Since January 2011, Trotter said they have conducted hundreds of sniffs resulting in numerous arrests, drug seizures and asset forfeitures.
The K-9 deputies are Matt Timmons and Chad Sweeney and another deputy assigned to the narcotics task force.
Trotter said the program has been in effect for almost four years.
“We’ve been using the dogs a lot, and we have been called by other agencies to assist them such as the Nevada Highway Patrol and Fallon Police Department.
For example, Trotter said Timmons recently made a vehicle stop and discovered more than $20,000 that was received after a deal.
He said Timmons also had more arrests resulting in drug money.
To show the effectiveness of the dogs, Trotter cited a recent case that occurred in February.
He said Timmons made a traffic stop on East Williams Avenue and East Street on a white 1998 Subaru Outback out of California for an equipment violation. Trotter said Timmons noticed the odor of fresh marijuana that was coming from the vehicle and, after obtaining consent to search, Trotter said the deputy located 51.96 pounds of marijuana in the vehicle.
Red Cross award
Sgt. Ron Bell of the CCSO received the 2013 Red Cross Law Enforcement Real Heroes at a luncheon in Reno.
He was nominated for his life-saving efforts on March 28, 2013, when he responded to an 18-wheeler hit a fence on the Reno Highway at Jasper Lane. Bell found a 42-year-old male slumped over in the truck. His CPR efforts and the assistance of a passer-by or two resuscitated the man who was transported to Banner Churchill Community Hospital.
The driver was Care Flighted to Reno and according to Trotter, the man apparently is living today with little to no side effects from the cardiac arrest. Bell also sent the people assisting him letters of appreciation.