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| Sgt Eddie Powell, Mr. Bo Hudson, Ms. Jessica Johnson, and Sgt Corey Lowery (as pictured here from left to right) |
Arkansas Department of Corrections - K9 guest-spoke all day to SEACBEC Criminal Justice students of area school districts of Hampton, Hermitage, Rison, Warren, & Woodlawn via Blended & Face-to-Face methods. ADC K9 officers Sgt Eddie Powell an ADC K9 officer & dog handler of K9 Tye, Sgt Corey Lowery spoke to SEACBEC Criminal Justice students about the various careers students may choose to pursue throughout ADC and the overall field of corrections. Sgt Powell gave a presentation to CJ students that outlined what ADC K9 officers actually do daily in preparations for unit shakedowns, riots, drug busts, and inmate retrieval when escapes occur. Sgt Powell explained how ADC policy is addressed and used as a guide on their decision making at every correctional unit throughout Arkansas. CJ students asked many questions & Sgt Powell addressed each question very well. Sgt Powell explained the "scent cone" that K9 dogs use innately while tracking a specific scent. Sgt Powell also explained how K9 dogs "alert" and how ADC K9 officers/handlers teach their dogs how to be passive versus aggressive in their alerts to endure safety and to maintain the viability of property confiscated. Sgt Corey Lowery is an ADC K9 officer that is also the dog handler of K9 dog, "Tye". Tye was an aggressive alert dog, but has been trained well by Sgt Lowery to be a passive alert K9. Such as, when K9 Tye alerts on items that he is trained to track he does a head check and locks in on the scent with placing his front right paw on item and remains frozen stiff in appearance until Sgt Lowery gives him his ball. K9 Tye is trained to alert on almost all narcotic scents. Sgt Lowery (Tye's handler) worked Tye for students to show how K9 Tye alerts on items by smelling until he locks in the scent and alerts. Sgt Lowery explained how Tye works for his ball and that K9 Tye has "hunt" drive. As explained to classes, hunt drive is when nothing will alter or diffuse the K9's focus of the scent he's tracking because hunt drive is the very strong will of the K9 to keep tracking and do his job to get his ball. SEACBEC Criminal Justice instructors Ms. Jessica Johnson & Mr. Bo Hudson enjoyed having ADC K9 visit with students all day Friday & look forward to having ADC K9 return in future years in the spirit of red ribbon week.
