K-9’s sniff for drugs in Benton County jail

BENTON COUNTY, Tenn. — Deputies in one West Tennessee county search for drugs and weapons Tuesday in a place you might not expect.

Jail cells in Benton County were turned upside down as officers and K-9 units made random raids and our cameras were there for it all.

“It could be 5 a.m. and then it could be 2:30 p.m., but we just pop in, pull them out without any warning and check the cells,” Benton County Sheriff Kenny Christopher said.

Deputies said jails are hotbeds for illegal contraband. But in Benton County there is now a secret weapon for that.

“The dog will alert on any area and then we can concentrate on that particular area,” Sheriff Christopher said. “If it’s in there, with the dogs we have, they’ll find it.”

During Tuesday’s random searches bunks, pods, and belongings were turned upside down but nothing was found.

“We’ve not found any drugs in our jail since we started this program,” Christopher said. “So getting the dogs has been a big benefit to us.”

Although it has not been found that does not mean it is not there.

“Everyone that comes in can get something by you,” the Sheriff said. “They’re always trying to get it by.”

Although drugs are a big problem, inmates also sneak in something far more dangerous.

“It’s not just the drugs, we worry about getting weapons and things in here,” Christopher said. “This like homemade devices or shanks. It’s pretty ingenious some of the things that they can come up with.”

But with deputies and dogs keeping a close eye those items seem to stay at bay.

“With the cameras monitoring and the dogs and the officers being alert so far I think we’ve done a pretty good job,” Sheriff Christopher said.

Although deputies said they found no physical drugs, they did find some signs of them. They said a dog hit on one bunk where they were able to recover some residue.

Deputies said they do random searches like Tuesday’s on a rotating basis hoping to the catch the inmates when they least expect it.