LOWNDES — Lieutenant Herb Bennett and K-9 Thanos placed first in indoor narcotics searches at national competition.

Release:

During the week of May 3-6, 2026, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) K-9 Lieutenant Herb Bennett participated in the 2026 United States Police Canine Association (USPCA) National Detection field trials in Atlantic City, NJ. The event was hosted by the Stockton Police Department. This trial included handlers from all over the United States. This National certification is in addition to the mandatory yearly Regional Certification that must be completed by each handler in order to qualify to work the street with their K-9 partner. This certification is a measure of each K-9 team’s ability in scent detection, or such things like Narcotics, Explosives, and Cadaver.

During this certification K-9 teams must obtain a minimum score to pass, while all competitors are also ranked on how well they complete each search task. During this week, Lieutenant Herb Bennett, and K-9 Thanos took home several awards in Narcotics detection. Out of 78 K-9 teams, Lieutenant Herb Bennett, and K-9 Thanos placed 1st in the indoor narcotics search and 5th place overall. Lieutenant Herb Bennett also teamed with K-9 Handler Shawn Finny from the Lakeland Police Department (LPD) in Florida and took 3rd place regional team.

This event is the same one LCSO hosted in 2022, and is again hosting in August of 2027. This event will bring several hundreds of visitors to our county. In order to host such a prestigious event, we are asking for event sponsors and volunteers. If you or your business is interested, please contact LCSO and ask for Lt Herb Bennett.