HAVRE, Mont. (NMB) – The Hill County Commission convened on Thursday morning for their weekly business meeting and unanimously approved a resolution that will allow the Sheriff’s Office to purchase a narcotics detecting canine and related equipment.
The resolution creates a budget for the receipt and disbursement of $10,000 in state funds to be used for the purchase. The Hill County Sheriff’s Office recently received a grant for funding this program from the Montana Department of Justice.
Due to the legalization of recreational marijuana for adults in Montana, current drug-sniffing dogs that detect marijuana are no longer able to perform their duties.
“The canine is going to be for combating the drug problem,” Tri-Agency Drug Task Force Agent and Hill County Deputy Sheriff Chad Minnick said. “It will assist the Sheriff’s Office and local communities in combating the drug problems in our communities, minus marijuana, due to the legalization of marijuana this year.”
Sheriff Jamie Ross says that they are expecting to have the canine by the start of 2022.
“The canine is going to be a huge asset to our office in combating the drug epidemic in our area,” Ross said.
The Havre Police Department has also received a grant for this program.
Also approved at Thursday’s meeting was a resolution amending the a Hill County Budget Fund for the receipt and disbursement of a $18,620 Maternal and Child Health Block Grant for the Health Department.
