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| K-9 Lando seen here, with Officer Conner Wilson. |
For Conner Wilson, a career in public safety was always a calling, but being a K-9 handler was a unique opportunity he didn’t anticipate.
Wilson graduated SCC with an associate degree in criminal justice in 2015, then went on to attend SCC’s Public Safety Training Center to become a law enforcement officer. He graduated with his Basic Law Enforcement Training certification in 2017.
“Looking back on my time at SCC, I now realize that it laid a very important foundation for my career and who I am as a person today,” Wilson said. “There was always someone there to point me in the right direction.”
Soon after he was sworn in as a deputy at the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office in April 2017, an opportunity arose for him to become a K-9 handler. Wilson was ultimately offered the position.
“From a young age, I always knew I wanted to go into law enforcement,” Wilson said. “I also grew up in Jackson County, so it was a blessing to receive this job opportunity so I could continue to be a public servant to my own community.”
After an intense ten weeks at handler’s school through Asheville Police Department, Wilson and a K-9 named Lando officially became partners on the job in June. Through handler’s school, Lando became qualified to detect explosives and to do article searches and tracking. Wilson learned important training techniques to use with Lando throughout their career together.
“Conner Wilson is an eager and energetic officer who we knew would do well with a K-9,” said Sheriff Chip Hall. “We are proud of how the program has grown, and we believe the success of our K-9 program really benefits the citizens of Jackson County.”
Over the last three years, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office has added three K-9s to their agency, after starting with just one. The program has seen great success.
Wilson reflected on the success of the program: “It took Lando and I some time to create a bond, but now he is my partner. I am amazed at how we took a dog with hardly any training and in just ten weeks, he transformed into a fully working police K-9.”
For more information about the BLET program at SCC, contact Mitch Boudrot at 828.306.7043.
For more information about the Criminal Justice program at SCC, contact Tim Coffey at 828.339.4276.
