Randolph County Commission welcomes new K9 officer Nikki
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ELKINS -- The Randolph County Commission was introduced to the newest member of the Randolph County Sheriff's Office Thursday.
Nikki, a female Dutch Shepherd, recently became the second K-9 officer with the RCSO. Nikki will join Twix, who has been with the department since late 2022. The newest K-9 will be used primarily as a drug-sniffing dog.
"Nikki is a different type of dog than Twix," Sheriff Rob Elbon said. "Unlike Twix, she won't bite anyone that she finds. She is very social and is really, really good at finding drugs. She went to Pocahontas County yesterday and immediately hit on a car that was in a large parking lot."
In November, Deputy Tyler Knotts, who is the handler for Twix, came before the commission and requested permission to seek another K-9 dog for the Sheriff's Office. At that meeting, Knotts told commissioners that the new K-9 wouldn't cost the county any money, due to grant funding.
"Nikki was all paid for from grant money, so she's not costing the county a dime," Elbon said. "We've been digging for grants and Deputy Knotts was able to secure some that allowed us to get Nikki."
Senior Deputy Aaron Channell, who has been with the RCSO for 12 years, will be Nikki's primary handler while on duty. Channell just returned from Louisiana, where he spent two weeks training with Nikki at K-9 Working Dogs International.
"Nikki is going to be great at tracking," Channell said. "She will be able to help us find any kids who are lost, or any elderly people who left their residents and wander away. She is going to be a valuable asset to the Sheriff's Office."
Elbon added that having two dogs will be a big benefit to the office, especially when it comes to locating illegal drugs.
"Twix is going to be on one rotation and Nikki is going to be on the opposite," Elbon said. "With the dogs working at different times, we will have double coverage for drug protection."