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K9 Lex approaching $2 million in seizures

November 24, 2019–12:15 p.m.

FLOYD COUNTY POLICE

The Floyd County Police Department has seized almost $2 million in illegal contraband using the police K9 that was purchased and trained using community contributions. That total includes more than $31,000 in cash.

Lex, a Belgian Malinois, will celebrate his one-year anniversary at the police department in December. In that same month, he will also have his third birthday.

Lex and his partner Sgt. Shea Hovers conduct investigative stops as part of their patrol duties but also assists the drug task force and SWAT.

“We’re happy to report to everyone who supported us that we have been a good steward of fundraising money from the community,” said Mark Wallace, chief of the Floyd County Police Department. “Lex has been a tremendous asset to our department and we can’t wait to see what the next year holds for him and his partner (Hovers).”

As of this date, the total loss to drug dealers is $1,992,510.60 worth of cash and drugs. The street value of drugs alone is $1,961,133.60 – street values are estimated using (High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) HIDTA standards. More than 48 pounds of illegal drugs have been seized, including marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and ecstasy.

Floyd County is committed to helping reduce the number of overdose deaths in our community and decreasing crimes related to drug activity: violence, theft and criminal street gangs. Our county received HIDTA designation this year and will soon begin receiving federal support for drug enforcement.

Lex was purchased from K2 Solutions in North Carolina for $12,750. The cost for training was $5,000 and included time for both he and the handler. The K9 is an apprehension canine officer who has also been trained in article searches and tracking.

The Floyd County Police Department has 80 sworn officers and answers an average of 59,000 calls for service. Officers patrol 514 square miles, serving 93,368 people.