Rookie Jaap, a Dutch shepherd who recently partnered with Pima County sheriff鈥檚 Deputy Nicholas Norris, has already helped bust suspects in a drug case.
But thanks to a donation of custom body armor, Jaap will soon be able to hit the streets on patrol.
The 3-year-old sheriff鈥檚 dog finished his basic training in March and has assisted detectives in uncovering methamphetamine, marijuana and more than $10,000 cash in a case.
Jaap, which is pronounced 鈥淵ap,鈥 has helped put several drug offenders behind bars, said Deputy Courtney Rodriguez, a Pima County Sheriff鈥檚 Department spokeswoman.
The dog is awaiting body armor before he can work patrol duties with Norris. Jaap鈥檚 work now is concentrated on sniffing out drugs.
Jaap is expected to receive custom body armor 鈥 weighing about 5 pounds 鈥 sometime this summer. The protective gear is being donated by Vested Interest in K9s, a charity in East Taunton, Massachusetts.
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The charity was established in 2009 to assist law enforcement agencies with the protective vests, which are made by Armor Express in Central Lake, Michigan.
The vests are valued at about $2,000.
This is the first donation Vested Interest in K9s has made to the sheriff鈥檚 department, Rodriguez said.
Twelve police dogs work for the sheriff鈥檚 department, and the majority of the dogs work both drug cases and are on patrol duties.
For information about the charity that provides bullet and stab protective vests, go to
Contact reporter Carmen Duarte at cduarte@tucson.com or 573-4104. Twitter: @cduartestar
Carmen Duarte
Reporter
