New Deputy

Deputy Glines and Blitz
Deputy Jeremy Glines and
his new partner, Blitz.
 

K-9 Unit Welcomes New 'Deputy'
On June 22, 2009, Jackson County Deputy Jeremy Glines has a new partner. His full name is quite a mouthful: Blitz Von Der Furcht Innen. Fortunately, you need not call him "Deputy Von Der Furcht Innen." Just "Blitz," will do.

Blitz
Blitz, a 70-pound German Shepherd, formally joined the Jackson County Sheriff's K-9 Unit May 27, when Sheriff Mike Sharp accepted the dog from the Heart of America Kennel Club during a meeting at The Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center in Overland Park, Kansas. Blitz, at 2 years old, is young enough to have about a 6 to 8-year career with the Sheriff's Office ahead of him. Glines and Blitz actually started working together some time ago, having passed their official certification testing May 18.

"Deputy Glines and his new partner, Blitz, have already recovered over 40 pounds of narcotics in their short time as a team," Sheriff Sharp pointed out May 27.

Dual-Propose Dog
A fully trained police dog can cost around $10,000, and Blitz is a dual-purpose dog, trained in both narcotics detection and patrol support. With the Sheriff's Office being no exception to Jackson County government's tight budgets, Sheriff Sharp was extremely grateful for the Kennel Club's donation of Blitz, saying, "This is incredibly generous. I really can't say thank you too many times."

The Kennel Club used funds raised through its annual dog shows to purchase Blitz. The Club's call to the Sheriff's Office couldn't have come at a better time.

"Blitz is joining our force just as the 1 dog in our K-9 Unit was retiring," Sharp said. (The Sheriff is exploring potential funding sources for a 2nd police dog.)

Up To The Task
Blitz has big paw prints to fill. Glines' former partner, Aapie Von Austerberg, a female German Shepherd specializing as an explosive patrol dog, is now retired. Aapie, a 9½-year-old, served the Jackson County Sheriff's Office with distinction for more than 6 years.

Glines is confident his new partner is up to the task.

"Blitz loves to work," Glines said. "Whenever I walk by his cage, he starts spinning in circles. He wants to get out and be on the job."

Glines and Blitz work 4 shifts from 6 p.m. to 3 p.m. a week. They're on call to serve any agency in Jackson County that might need their services.

When off-duty, Blitz lives at Glines' house in an outdoor kennel. As for Glines' old 4-legged partner, Aapie, the Jackson County Deputy still gets to spend plenty of time with her. She has retired to a life of leisure inside the Glines' home.