COBB COUNTY, Ga. — The Cobb County School District is adding a new layer of protection for students and staff with two new K-9 officers.
“What’s different about the vapor wake dogs is they can alert on a moving object. Meaning if a person has a weapon in their backpack and they are walking down the sidewalk the K-9s can pick up on that scent,” Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said.
Channel 2 Action News Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell spoke exclusively with Ragsdale about this new safety initiative that he believes will help prevent school violence.
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“They can pick up that trail up to 15 minutes after the item has gone through the area,” Ragsdale said.
On Thursday, Superintendent Ragsdale introduced the vapor wake canine detection team to board members and the community.
Unlike traditional detection dogs, these K-9′s are trained to sample the air for concealed firearms, explosives and more.
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The district partnered with Global K9 Protection Group to get the K-9s. The company provides hundreds of K-9s to sports teams, hospitals and more.
They cost the district about $40,000.
School officials hope to get the K-9s in Cobb schools as soon as possible.
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