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Written by Kelly Jo Ross - Breese Journal Reporter

Carlyle police K-9 officer/handler Garrett Wade is pictured with Jett, a 20-month-old black German Shepherd.    Jett hasn't been with the Carlyle Police Department long, but he has already made an impact.
    "He has been deployed about a dozen times," said Carlyle Police Chief Mark Pingsterhaus of Jett.
    Jett is a 20-month-old black German Shepherd.
    "We purchased him through John Haller, who owns Top Dog Police Academy of Evansville, Indiana," Pingsterhaus said.
    K-9 Police officer Garrett Wade went through training for six weeks with Jett and the two have been together since.
    Jett is trained in tracking drugs such as marijuana, heroin, cocaine and meth. He can also track people and lost articles.
    One of the reasons why Pingsterhaus wanted to get a K-9 program was to help track people.
    "We had an incident where an elderly woman who had dementia took off walking in a wooded area and was lost," he said.
    Pingsterhaus said that they can also use Jett as a community tool, where he and his handler Garrett will be doing demonstrations. 
    He also does bite work demonstrations.
    Jett has been certified through the state of Illinois since last month.
    "Since then, Jett has been deployed 12 times, either by us or local agencies requesting a K-9," Pingsterhaus said.
    Still a pup yet, Jett is a "very social dog" and will continue to grow.
    "I've been with the police department for over 23 years and this is something officers have wanted since day one — to have a K-9 program," Pingsterhaus said, adding that he talked to the other officers about seeking donations for a K-9 unit 
    In December 2018, Chief Pingsterhaus went to the Carlyle City Council for their approval to seek donations for the canine program.
    Since then, the police department, organizations, and members of the community have stepped up to raise donations for a police dog.
    There have been numerous fundraisers and benefits held, and within eight months, they had the funds for a police dog.
    "The public has been absolutely amazing; they support us wholeheartedly and we are very appreciative," he said.