LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Mayor Greg Fischer has stood behind a podium many times to swear in new officers, but never quite like he did Tuesday. Two new K-9s will soon be unleashed at Louisville Metro Corrections after Metro Council set aside $40,000.
A lot of dog-lovers were all smiles Tuesday, but the job the two dogs will be doing is serious.
"I've personally never met a dog that wants to find narcotics more to get his ball," said Officer Darren Gibson, Max's human partner. "That's ultimately what it's about: saving someone's family member from overdosing."
The jail has had well-documented troubles. From November to March, several inmates died while locked up. Then, the former director of Metro Corrections resigned amid an investigation into the facility.
The new man in charge of the jail — Director Jerry Collins — hopes the two drug-sniffers will be just the beginning of a turnaround.
"We have to continue to stay ahead of the game," he said. "In the budget, I'm asking for several things to help button down the facility."
One thing Collins wants is to move to a digital mail system, an effort to keep narcotics out.
"It's always been a challenge," he said.
Collins knows he has his work cut out for him, but he said he has to start somewhere and believes he's already showing he plans to move quickly.
"It's never going to be fast enough, but we're going to be moving fast," he said.
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