NSO K-9 Team Certified to Assist With Project Lifesaver Program

The Norfolk Sheriff’s Office is pleased to announce Deputy D. Klutts and his partner K-9 Bajos have completed the necessary requirements and obtained their certification in tracking through the Virginia Police Work Dog Association (VPWDA). With this certification, Deputy Klutts and K-9 Bajos will be available to assist the Norfolk Sheriff’s Office with the Project Lifesaver Program.

Deputy Klutts and K-9 Bajos, a socialized 3-year-old Belgian Malinois, have been working together for 12 months and previously certified in narcotics detection. On Monday, they obtained their certification in tracking after five months of training with the Chesapeake Police Department. The team is required to re-certify every year. In the coming weeks, K-9 Bajos will obtain narcotics courier certification.

Project Lifesaver International is a 501 (C)(3) organization that assists public safety officials in locating individuals with cognitive disorders who have wandered. The program, founded in Chesapeake, VA in 1999, has become a proven, effective method of finding at-risk missing persons who have cognitive disorders. The Norfolk Sheriff’s Office joined the Project Lifesaver Program in 2001. Since then, the NSO program has successfully rescued more than 400 missing people, which is the most rescues out of over 1,600 Project Lifesaver public safety organizations nationwide.

“Each day the Norfolk Sheriff’s Office strives to make a difference in the lives of others. Through the Project Lifesaver Program and now with the assistance of Deputy Klutts and K-9 Bajos we have the opportunity to locate missing individuals and reunite them with their loved ones. I am thankful for the time and effort our personnel put into making the Project Lifesaver Program a success and working to keep our most vulnerable citizens safe,” stated Sheriff Joe Baron.

The NSO Project Lifesaver Program is monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you live in Norfolk and have a loved one who meets the Project Lifesaver eligibility requirements, contact Master Deputy Reed at 757-328-2485 or visit https://norfolk-sheriff.com/community/project-lifesaver.
 

# # #

The Norfolk Sheriff's Office is a values driven organization
committed to public safety, public service, and public trust.