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KCSO's Tucker is dog-gone good at his job
By Tereasa Nims: tereasa_nims@terrelltribune.com
To most he looks like a friendly 50-pound pup that thinks he's a lap dog at times but when on duty, he's a weapon in the Kaufman County Sheriff's Office effort to take drugs off the streets.
“He hasn't let me down, yet,” said KCSO Deputy F. Frierson of his partner, Tucker. “The biggest things in this county are marijuana, methamphetamine and crack cocaine.”
Since joining KCSO in March, Tucker, along with 3-year department veteran Frierson, have found their share of drugs. Frierson said Tucker has also found drug paraphernalia, such as needles, marijuana seeds and drug residue in vehicles.
“I like finding the smaller stuff cause that shows how good he is,” Frierson said of his partner.
For example Tucker was recently searching the outside of a vehicle when he started scratching, letting Frierson know there were drugs. Inside Frierson found a plastic bag in the visor with a marijuana bud inside.
“I'd like to find a sizable load, but the smaller finds shows he's really working hard,” Frierson said. “I think the older he gets the better he'll be.”
There have been times when Frierson alone has found drugs.
Frierson recently responded to a motorcycle crash and ended up finding 944 grams of methamphetamine and $33,600 in cash on the victim.
“I've never held that much money in my life,” Frierson said.
Frierson, who worked full-time in a print shop while attending the police academy, had a longtime interest in law enforcement work. His grandfather was an officer with the Garland Police Department. After graduating from the police academy in 2004, Frierson applied to KCSO and was hired.
He was interested in furthering his career, so when the K-9 unit position opened, Frierson applied for it.
“It seemed like a way to better myself though law enforcement,” Frierson said.
The pair works 12-hour shifts with four days on and four days off. The pair often comes in on their day off to train.
“I really enjoy having him, he's a lot of fun,” Frierson said. “I don't even mind coming in on my day off to train with him.”
The pair find most of the drugs during traffic stops.
When Frierson suspects someone has drugs, he asks the driver for consent to search the vehicle. If they refuse to have the officer search, then Frierson uses Tucker to sniff the outside of the vehicle. If Tucker alerts on the vehicle, they have just gotten probable cause to search the vehicle.
When doing such a search, Frierson waits for backup.
“I never want to do a search by myself,” Frierson said. “I always have a cover unit before I start one.”
This way Frierson can focus on walking Tucker around the vehicle and not have to worry about watching his back, too.
While on duty, Frierson and Tucker are partners. At home, Tucker is part of the family who is adored by Frierson's son and daughter and wife.
“They love him,” Frierson said of his children.
The children serve as great playmates for Tucker because all three are full of energy.
At 6 p.m. Monday Frierson and Tucker begin their 12-hour shift. Frierson loads Tucker into the Chevrolet Tahoe, checks his food and water supply and plays a game of tug of war before closing the door.
“You can literally make this job as boring or as exciting as you want to make it,” Frierson said.
At 6:46 p.m. Monday Frierson spots a Kia Spectra northbound on County Road 429 in Ables Springs and turns on his emergency lights. Frierson approaches the car.
“What was I doing?” asks the female driver.
“Your license plate light was out,” Frierson said.
Frierson returns to his truck and runs the woman's license through dispatch. Seconds later an alarm sounds in Frierson's patrol car alerting him that the woman is wanted for a warrant out of Hunt County for theft by check.
“She's going to jail,” Frierson said.
The woman didn't know about the 12-year-old warrant.
KCSO Sgt. Bryan Francis responds to Frierson's location. He arrests the woman and transports her to the Hunt County line where deputies are going to take her into custody.
At 8:43 p.m. Frierson and Tucker are asked to respond to a location on Scenic Circle for a man who has refused to allow deputies to search his truck.
Tucker is anxious to work. As Frierson nears the location, Tucker starts whining.
Once stopped, Frierson puts Tucker's leash on and they approach the truck as the driver sets on a grassy area 20-foot from the vehicle.
Tucker walks around the truck, sniffing the doors, fenders, tires and underneath. But he doesn't find drugs.
“When he's searching, he's not looking for drugs, he's looking for his toy,” Frierson said of Tucker.
Frierson said it's the toy that motivates Tucker. When he alerts on drugs, Frierson rewards Tucker by giving him the toy to play with.
At 9:29 p.m. Frierson is asked if he will come to a Dallas neighborhood where Dallas police are investigating a Mustang found in a man's yard. This is the second time in a couple of days that the man has found a strange car parked in his yard. The Mustang isn't registered and police know nothing about the vehicle.
Tucker sniffs around the car and begins scratching when he gets to the passenger door of the vehicle. Frierson walks Tucker around the car again and Tucker alerts again when he gets to the passenger door. This gives authorities probable cause to search the car.
Frierson and Tucker head back to Kaufman County as Dallas narcotics officers prepare to search the vehicle.
Back in the county, Frierson drives around looking for anything suspicious. At 11:28 p.m. he gets a call that Kaufman police attempted to make a traffic stop and the driver fled. Officers are in pursuit and Frierson is asked to assist. Frierson navigates his patrol vehicle south on State Highway 34 when he hears a dispatcher say Kaufman police have two in custody. The brief chase ended in the 5600 block of Highway 243.
Close to the location, Frierson responds to see if he can be of assistance. He learns that Kaufman police couldn't read the place on the suspect car and when the officer attempted to stop the car, the driver fled and allegedly threw something out the window while driving. Authorities recovered the bag with suspected marijuana inside.
When the chase came to an end, authorities found scales, a pipe and plastic bags. The driver, who was on crutches, is being charged with manufacturing and delivering a controlled substance, evading and possibly tampering with evidence for tossing the drugs out the window of the car.
At midnight the first half of Frierson and Tucker's shift is over. Tucker stands quietly in the back of the SUV ready for the next six hours.
“He hasn't let me down, yet,” said KCSO Deputy F. Frierson of his partner, Tucker. “The biggest things in this county are marijuana, methamphetamine and crack cocaine.”
Since joining KCSO in March, Tucker, along with 3-year department veteran Frierson, have found their share of drugs. Frierson said Tucker has also found drug paraphernalia, such as needles, marijuana seeds and drug residue in vehicles.
“I like finding the smaller stuff cause that shows how good he is,” Frierson said of his partner.
For example Tucker was recently searching the outside of a vehicle when he started scratching, letting Frierson know there were drugs. Inside Frierson found a plastic bag in the visor with a marijuana bud inside.
“I'd like to find a sizable load, but the smaller finds shows he's really working hard,” Frierson said. “I think the older he gets the better he'll be.”
There have been times when Frierson alone has found drugs.
Frierson recently responded to a motorcycle crash and ended up finding 944 grams of methamphetamine and $33,600 in cash on the victim.
“I've never held that much money in my life,” Frierson said.
Frierson, who worked full-time in a print shop while attending the police academy, had a longtime interest in law enforcement work. His grandfather was an officer with the Garland Police Department. After graduating from the police academy in 2004, Frierson applied to KCSO and was hired.
He was interested in furthering his career, so when the K-9 unit position opened, Frierson applied for it.
“It seemed like a way to better myself though law enforcement,” Frierson said.
The pair works 12-hour shifts with four days on and four days off. The pair often comes in on their day off to train.
“I really enjoy having him, he's a lot of fun,” Frierson said. “I don't even mind coming in on my day off to train with him.”
The pair find most of the drugs during traffic stops.
When Frierson suspects someone has drugs, he asks the driver for consent to search the vehicle. If they refuse to have the officer search, then Frierson uses Tucker to sniff the outside of the vehicle. If Tucker alerts on the vehicle, they have just gotten probable cause to search the vehicle.
When doing such a search, Frierson waits for backup.
“I never want to do a search by myself,” Frierson said. “I always have a cover unit before I start one.”
This way Frierson can focus on walking Tucker around the vehicle and not have to worry about watching his back, too.
While on duty, Frierson and Tucker are partners. At home, Tucker is part of the family who is adored by Frierson's son and daughter and wife.
“They love him,” Frierson said of his children.
The children serve as great playmates for Tucker because all three are full of energy.
At 6 p.m. Monday Frierson and Tucker begin their 12-hour shift. Frierson loads Tucker into the Chevrolet Tahoe, checks his food and water supply and plays a game of tug of war before closing the door.
“You can literally make this job as boring or as exciting as you want to make it,” Frierson said.
At 6:46 p.m. Monday Frierson spots a Kia Spectra northbound on County Road 429 in Ables Springs and turns on his emergency lights. Frierson approaches the car.
“What was I doing?” asks the female driver.
“Your license plate light was out,” Frierson said.
Frierson returns to his truck and runs the woman's license through dispatch. Seconds later an alarm sounds in Frierson's patrol car alerting him that the woman is wanted for a warrant out of Hunt County for theft by check.
“She's going to jail,” Frierson said.
The woman didn't know about the 12-year-old warrant.
KCSO Sgt. Bryan Francis responds to Frierson's location. He arrests the woman and transports her to the Hunt County line where deputies are going to take her into custody.
At 8:43 p.m. Frierson and Tucker are asked to respond to a location on Scenic Circle for a man who has refused to allow deputies to search his truck.
Tucker is anxious to work. As Frierson nears the location, Tucker starts whining.
Once stopped, Frierson puts Tucker's leash on and they approach the truck as the driver sets on a grassy area 20-foot from the vehicle.
Tucker walks around the truck, sniffing the doors, fenders, tires and underneath. But he doesn't find drugs.
“When he's searching, he's not looking for drugs, he's looking for his toy,” Frierson said of Tucker.
Frierson said it's the toy that motivates Tucker. When he alerts on drugs, Frierson rewards Tucker by giving him the toy to play with.
At 9:29 p.m. Frierson is asked if he will come to a Dallas neighborhood where Dallas police are investigating a Mustang found in a man's yard. This is the second time in a couple of days that the man has found a strange car parked in his yard. The Mustang isn't registered and police know nothing about the vehicle.
Tucker sniffs around the car and begins scratching when he gets to the passenger door of the vehicle. Frierson walks Tucker around the car again and Tucker alerts again when he gets to the passenger door. This gives authorities probable cause to search the car.
Frierson and Tucker head back to Kaufman County as Dallas narcotics officers prepare to search the vehicle.
Back in the county, Frierson drives around looking for anything suspicious. At 11:28 p.m. he gets a call that Kaufman police attempted to make a traffic stop and the driver fled. Officers are in pursuit and Frierson is asked to assist. Frierson navigates his patrol vehicle south on State Highway 34 when he hears a dispatcher say Kaufman police have two in custody. The brief chase ended in the 5600 block of Highway 243.
Close to the location, Frierson responds to see if he can be of assistance. He learns that Kaufman police couldn't read the place on the suspect car and when the officer attempted to stop the car, the driver fled and allegedly threw something out the window while driving. Authorities recovered the bag with suspected marijuana inside.
When the chase came to an end, authorities found scales, a pipe and plastic bags. The driver, who was on crutches, is being charged with manufacturing and delivering a controlled substance, evading and possibly tampering with evidence for tossing the drugs out the window of the car.
At midnight the first half of Frierson and Tucker's shift is over. Tucker stands quietly in the back of the SUV ready for the next six hours.
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