CAYCE, SC – As students in Lexington School District Two head back to school, the Cayce Police Department is proud to introduce the newest member of their K9 team—Fletcher, a 19-month-old Labrador Retriever. Fletcher, along with his handler, Senior School Resource Officer (SRO) Daniel Green, has successfully completed basic handler training at Person-Borne Detection K9, and they are now ready to serve in the district’s schools.
Fletcher is specifically trained in traditional and person-borne firearm detection, adding an extra layer of safety to the school environment. However, the presence of Fletcher and other K9s in the schools is more about prevention and deterrence than responding to specific threats.
“While there is not an immediate concern about firearms in our schools, we know that our students and teachers appreciate the presence of our K9s,” said Senior SRO/K9 Green. “K9s like Fletcher are proven to be a proactive safety measure, and they bring a sense of security to our schools.”
The initiative to incorporate K9s into the School Resource Officer program is seen as a valuable step in enhancing school safety measures. Santana Sanguiliano, Lexington Two’s Director of Security and Risk, highlighted the positive impact of this partnership: “When the Cayce Police Department approached us about incorporating a K9 into the SRO program to detect firearms, we saw it as another opportunity to enhance our school safety measures. Fletcher, like Cayce’s other K9s, will not only help ensure a safe learning environment but also foster communication between students and law enforcement, reinforcing the importance of ‘seeing something and saying something.'”
Fletcher and Senior SRO/K9 Green will continue their training, but in the meantime, Fletcher is excited to start meeting new friends and contributing to the safety of Lexington Two schools. Keep an eye out for K9 Officer Fletcher as he becomes a familiar and friendly presence in the school community!
