(Photo courtesy of State Farm)

There is a secret weapon in the fight again arson crime and she has four legs and a super nose. This new four-legged member of the Sikeston Department of Public Safety has a nose up on arsonists and uses those skills to sniff out the causes of fires.

This special investigator is K9 Sammy, an accelerant detection canine (K-9) who partnered with Sikeston DPS Sgt. James Whitley during a four-week canine training school. The two graduated from Class No. 55 of the program.

The program is funded by State Farm and is available to fire departments and law enforcement agencies across the United States. For 30 years, the State Farm Arson Dog Program has placed more than 450 dogs in 46 states, three Canadian provinces, and the District of Columbia. All arson dog teams are trained by Maine Specialty Dogs and certified by the Maine State Police.

The estimated value of the canine and training made by State Farm is $25,000 per team. The grant from State Farm paid for training for both handler and canine, travel expenses there and back along with food and lodging.

Sgt. Whitley and K9 Sammy will be introduced at the Sikeston City Council meeting beginning at 5 p.m. on Monday, May 1 at the Sikeston City Hall 105 E. Center Sikeston, MO 63801.  Sgt Whitley and K9 Sammy will complete a demonstration of their skills and be available for interview and photos. 

According to the National Fire Protection Association, an estimated 280,000 intentional fires are reported to U.S. fire departments each year, with associated annual losses of 420 civilian deaths, 1,360 civilian injuries, and $1.3 billion in direct property damage. The actual number of arson fires and the amount of property damage is likely much higher, as arson is an underreported crime. Arson dogs played a crucial role in determining the cause of many of these fires.

Accelerant detection canines, commonly called arson dogs, are trained law enforcement dogs that are used to sniff out evidence at fire scenes. These canine heroes work alongside their human handler, identifying the cause of home or business fires, assisting in cold crime cases, and uncovering potential evidence in homicides.

"We feel law enforcement officials should have every tool possible to combat this costly -- and sometimes deadly -- crime," said Heather Paul, National Arson Dog Program Coordinator for State Farm. “These K-9s enable investigators to do their job more efficiently and effectively. The scope of arson goes beyond impacting insurance companies – it affects the personal and financial well-being of us all.  Training dogs to detect accelerants at fire scenes saves time and money in arson investigations.”

There are currently 95 active and certified teams in North America trained through the State Farm Arson Dog Program, including Sgt. Whitley and K9 Sammy.

This new team of K9 Sammy and Sgt James Whitley will investigate fires throughout the Sikeston region. K9 Sammy is a 2 1/2-year-old yellow Labrador retriever. She was raised by Southeastern Guide Dogs in Palmetto, Florida, to be a guide dog for the blind but her strong work drive did not make her a good guide dog. Instead, she will be serving the residents of Sikeston and surrounding counties.

In 2021, Sikeston had 55 structure fires and over 70 structure fires in 2022. There are roughly 15-20 arsons a year for structures and several arsons involving vehicles.

For more information about the Arson Dog Program visit www.arsondog.org  (April 27, 2023)