The Rea Report | Fall 2021 | Page 12

AMERICAN K9 DETECTION SERVICES

BRIGHT CLIENT

AMERICAN K9 DETECTION SERVICES

FOLLOWING THE SCENT

HOW AMERICAN K9 DETECTION SERVICES IS PROVIDING
LIFE-CHANGING SERVICES , ONE SNIFF AT A TIME
You never know where you might meet your next business advisor or client . Could be at the golf club … or perhaps at the grocery store . Hey , you might even be seated next to them on a flight to Florida . For Bill Parker , founder and CEO of American K9 Detection Services , he was headed out of town on vacation to Fort Myers , Fla ., when he struck up a conversation with his seatmate Chad Bice , Rea ’ s regional president , Southeast Ohio region . The two discussed Bill ’ s business which was going through a growth cycle at the time . Chad offered fresh insights and a different perspective than Bill ’ s other advisors had been providing . Shortly after their chance encounter , Bill transferred his financial services over to Rea & Associates , and a wonderful business relationship and friendship blossomed .
From Law Enforcement Officer To Business Owner
Bill began his career in law enforcement as an Alabama State Trooper in 1969 . He served six years before leaving Alabama to help pastor churches in Georgia , North Carolina and Ohio . In 1989 , he reentered the law enforcement field in Ohio and held positions as a patrol officer , detective and also a K9 officer . He retired from law enforcement in 1997 and started his own business known as American Court Services ( ACS ).
ACS primarily offered random drug testing , electronic monitoring and K9 drug detection services for probation departments , halfway houses , child protective agencies and workplaces throughout Ohio . The business employed staff from law enforcement , corrections and treatment disciplines , which provided a unique blend of expertise and experience to support these services . After operating ACS as the sole owner for 23 years , Bill sold most of the company ’ s assets in October 2020 , but carved out the K9 detection services piece of the business and rebranded it as American K9 Detection Services .
A Good Foundation
Three years ago , Bill began offering K9 detection services and started a pilot program with the Ross County Adult Probation Department . The work entailed specially trained dogs searching the homes of individuals on probation for illegal drugs . In 2019 , Bill attended a criminal justice conference and began to build rapport with community-based correctional facilities and halfway houses throughout the state . Bill discovered that there was a significant need for K9 Drug Detection Services among these agencies , as law enforcement wasn ’ t as available as they used to be , and as a result , more opportunities came his way . American K9 Detection Services has contracts for random drug detection services with Talbert House in Cincinnati and Alvis in Columbus – Ohio ’ s largest operators of halfway houses .
Today , American K9 Detection Services has grown to employ four K9 teams who search 20 to 25 facilities per month .
The Secret Sauce – Man ’ s Best Friend
American K9 Detection Services wouldn ’ t be successful without its star employees – a team of four lovable , hardworking canines . Dogs are used for detection for a
variety of reasons . There are bomb dogs , drug-sniffing dogs … dogs that search for missing people .
“ Dogs possess outstanding olfactory systems ,” said Bill . “ Their ability to pick up specific scents is truly amazing , and a dog ’ s ability to focus – despite distractions – and hone in on certain smells is remarkable .”
Bill and his team of trainers spend months training their team of dogs . The training usually begins with the trainers and dogs bonding and learning to trust each other .
Trainers then transition the dogs into working environments comprised of a wide range of scenarios and locations . Dogs are prey-driven animals , and the trainers learn what makes the dogs tick . For most dogs , it ’ s the game ( or pursuit of the prey ) that is the most enjoyable aspect of the drive . So , trainers use various methods to reward the dogs while imprinting the odor of illegal street drugs – cocaine , marijuana , fentanyl , ecstasy , methamphetamine and heroin – on the dogs . They introduce one odor at a time and incorporate several distraction odors to help the dogs stay focused on the drug odor . Once the dog correctly identifies the odor , they ’ re rewarded with one of their favorite toys .
To keep the dogs focused , Bill and his team often train with area law enforcement
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