Four Legged K-9 Sworn in With Handler On Bomb Unit

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A K-9 and his handler were sworn in as Macon-Bibb County sheriff’s deputies. They are the newest members of the already consolidated bomb unit.

“Arco” is trained in detecting explosives, such as C-4’s, dynamite, TNT, and black powder.

According to his handler, Officer Timothy Rivers the K-9’s specialty is retrieving guns.

“If you throw a gun out [there] he will find it,” says Rivers.

The two have become great friends since completing a “vigorous” training course. They finished at the top of their class. During the training they search cars, airports and schools.

“Arco and I will be doing a sweep of Savannah State and also Georgia Southern,” says Rivers. “I got another request too, from the Falcons. We’ll be going up there back and forth, doing sweeps of that stadium (Georgia Dome.)”

The sheriff’s office used funds from a Georgia Emergency Management to pay for Rivers’ training, and an explosive K-9 unit SUV.

“Well officer Rivers and Arco have just been assigned to the bomb unit because they now will have jurisdiction,” said Bibb County Sheriff David Davis. “They may be called throughout the county as well as throughout the state. We wanted to go ahead and swear them in so they would have that authority to go where ever they needed to go.”

Sheriff Davis says his office gets several bomb threats a year and they want to be prepared in the event there is an actual bomb.

“We had a situation over at Jones County where there was a pipe bomb found on the side of the road,” said Davis. “So, you always want to be vigilant and you always want to have the resources to respond in a situation like that.”

Arco lives with Rivers and his family. The officer says the police dog is rather territorial of his handler, but they are adapting to the K-9.