BENTON CITY, Wash. – Blaze, Benton County Sheriff Department’s Electronic Storage Device Detection K9, made a special, first-time visit to Kiona Benton Elementary, brightening the day for students.
School Resource Officer Deputy Brad Klippert organized the visit, calling up Blaze’s handler, Deputy Brett Hansen and requesting her to join.
“Deputy Klippert called and said the kids wanted to meet Blaze… so I came up,” said Deputy Hansen.
At recess, students gathered around the deputies and Blaze, all eagerly waiting for their turn to pet her. Deputy Hansen emphasized the importance of these visits.
“We can play with them, tease with them, let them pet the dog… So they have that positive interaction (and) they’re not scared of us when they need us,” he said.
Deputy Klippert also had a message to share with the community, capitalizing on their commitment to the public.
“We’re not just here to arrest people and write tickets. We’re here because we love people. We want to protect them and keep them safe,” said Deputy Klippert.
