CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Rockport-Fulton Independent School District is taking a proactive approach to keep their campuses drug free.
Across the state, many schools have reportedly seen increased cases of underage teens who vape at school and sometimes those vape pens have been found to be loaded with a harder drug.
3NEWS caught up with Blaze, the police department's newest addition to its force. He is a 2-year-old pit bull which was rescued out of New York City and trained as a drug sniffing detective.
R-FISD Police Department officer Kat Caldwell said that Blaze has made a great addition to the team.
"He's a great companion to have, partner at work and I think he is going to do great things," she said.
When you think of a drug-sniffing K9, you might think of a German Shepard, a lab, or even a Belgian Malinois.
A pit bull might not be exactly what comes to mind. However, Caldwell said that their department is trying to change the stigma surrounding the dog breed.
"They want to prove that pit bulls and rescues can do this police job, the K9 detection can be duel purpose," she said.
R-F ISD Superintendent CJ Lowery said he didn't hesitate when the idea was brought to him.
"That is a pretty easy yes," he said. "What it's going to do in terms of our district, first off its a deterrent. It reminds the kids, hey we are watching, the best way to stop any illegal activity is to stop it before it happens."
R-FISD Police Department Chief Mitzi Storey gave 3NEWS a demonstration of Blaze's abilities in action. The chief hid a package that stimulates the smell of narcotics inside an empty classroom. Within a minute, Blaze got a whiff and alerted his partner.
"They go through extra vetting to go to work at schools and he passed all of that completed his training and donated him to us," she said.
Blaze is an honorary Texan after he was originally rescued by the group Out of the Pits Rescue.
"It was perfect timing, Blaze was rescued from a shelter in New York he was an owner surrender because of medical issues," she said.
He then joined the Sector K9 Training Program, a non-profit that provides all the training for the K9 free of charge.
Caldwell also went through additional weeks of training to make sure they were both ready for Blaze's paw patrol. The group that rescued Blaze, Out of the Pits Rescue will also continue to sponsor him. Covering whatever expenses he might need, and even his food for life.
More from 3News on KIIITV.com:
- Uber now allows teen accounts in South Texas for rides, food delivery
- Angelica Hernandez resigns as first assistant to Nueces County D.A.
- Rockin' K Farms celebrates 10 years of fall festivities
- Here's when the next Starlink satellites will be visible over Corpus Christi
- Corpus Christi restaurant 3rd best place to eat in Texas, Yelp says
- District attorney Mark Gonzalez resigns to run for US Senate against Ted Cruz
- Here's when you can watch the 2023 solar eclipse over Corpus Christi
Subscribe to our YouTube channel for your daily news and exclusive extended interviews.
Do you have a news tip? Tell 3!
Email tell3@kiiitv.com so we can get in touch with you about your story should we have questions or need more information. We realize some stories are sensitive in nature. Let us know if you'd like to remain anonymous.