Edgewood Schools add police K-9 to search for gunpowder and drugs

The newest member of Edgewood Schools is safety-minded, talented and friendly, especially if you scratch her behind her ears.

The Butler County school system has just welcomed its first school police K-9 dog - a 13-week-old Labrador Retriever named Carmen.

Trained to sniff out gunpowder and narcotics, Carmen this week has begun training in Edgewood school buildings.

Carmen is the district’s first police dog to be assigned to an Edgewood school resource officer - Butler County Sheriff Deputy Darian Bookman - in the school system’s history, said sheriff officials.

Russ Fussnecker, superintendent of Edgewood Schools, said “safety is our top priority and this effort is yet another way we are working to keep our students and staff safe.”

In 2018 Edgewood Schools was the first in Butler County to install armed school officers in every school building.

Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones said, “we have a great working relationship with Edgewood Schools and we work together on a daily basis to make sure our kids have a safe, productive environment to learn and reach their best potential for their future.”

About the Author