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ANNOUNCEMENT
November 18, 2022
Terrebonne Parish Sheriff Tim Soignet would like to recognize and congratulate three members of the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office K-9 Division, who recently participated in two separate K-9 training courses that took place in Tennessee. Senior Handler Dillon Condetti, Handler Brad Sanner, and Handler Gerrith Ledet completed the necessary certifications through the National Narcotics Detection Dog Association (NNDDA) and are now trained in the areas of “Tracking and Trailing” and “K-9 Decoy” training as a result of the training.
“The National Narcotic Detector Dog Association (NNDDA) is a professional, nonprofit organization dedicated to the utilization and proficiency of police service, utility, or scent detection dogs for the benefit of Law Enforcement. Qualified Private Industry can also certify in scent detection.
The NNDDA started in 1978 in Nacogdoches Texas, originating with twelve (12) K-9 handlers from Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi and has now grown to represent more than twenty-five hundred members and twenty-eight states throughout the United States, as well as members in Mexico and Canada.
In addition to NNDDA sponsored K-9 training seminars held during the year, the NNDDA holds an annual training seminar where hundreds of K-9 handlers come to attend the excellent training and a friendly competition with each other.
During this time, these officers share their ideas and experiences with each other that they are finding in their many different cities, states, and communities from across the country.
While our organization began in the field of narcotics detection, we have grown and expanded with the membership and now have training and certifications in police service, utility, and explosive detection.
The use of these K-9 teams throughout the world today are being tested every day in assuring the safety of our great country.”
The K-9 Decoy course is a training certification to teach handlers the proper way to “take a bite” while training and working with each K-9 partner. This is extremely vital to the training and administering of “bite work”, to alleviate injury to the dogs and handlers. “If your decoy isn’t properly trained, they may actually reduce your canine’s effectiveness in real world situations. Worse, either they or your animal could be injured. The skill of your decoy directly affects the performance of your canine on the street.” (NNDDA) Sr. Handler Dillon Condetti and Handler Brad Sanner attended the K-9 Decoy class, which took place in Paris, Tn., on the dates of November 7-11, 2022. Each handler is now certified and plans to use the training to not only train within the Sheriff’s Office K-9 Division but utilize the teachings to assist other local agencies as well.
The K-9 Man Tracking and Trailing course teaches both techniques that are used to find a suspect on the move. Tracking training is slow and in the majority of situations when a K9 unit is called out to find a suspect, the suspect often has a lead on the K9 unit, and speed is a key factor for a successful find. Trailing allows a dog to use all of it senses to locate a suspect. This method is more natural for the dog and typically yields higher find ratios. Sr. Handler Dillon Condetti and Handler Gerrith Ledet attended the Tracking and Trailing class, which took place in Murfreesboro, Tn., on the dates of October 17-21, 2022. Each handler is now certified and plans to use the training to not only train within the Sheriff’s Office K-9 Division but utilize the teachings to assist other local agencies as well.
Senior Handler Dillon Condetti is a 7-year veteran of the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office, and currently serves the K-9 Division. Sr. Handler Condetti started as a Patrol Deputy with the Sheriff’s Office, where he served 2 years, before being promoted to the K-9 Division, where he currently serves alongside his partner “Jager”. Sr. Handler Condetti has attended numerous specialized training events related to K-9 handling, and even achieved his Associate Degree while an employee of the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office. Sr. Handler Condetti said, “I love what I do, and my goal is to make K-9 a lifelong career!”
Handler Brad Sanner is a 3-year veteran of the Terrebonne parish Sheriff’s Office, and also got his start in Law Enforcement as a Patrol Deputy. Handler Brad Sanner has served the Sheriff’s Office as a Patrol Deputy for 2 years, before achieving the position of K-9 Handler in 2021, where he currently serves alongside his partner “Gastone”. Handler Sanner said, “I absolutely love what I do, and I hope one day I can progress my career to being the K-9 Division Commander.”
Handler Gerrith Ledet is a 10-year veteran of the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office, and currently serves the K-9 Division, alongside his partner “Triton”. Handler Ledet started as a Correctional Officer, where he served for 2 years, before being promoted to Patrol Deputy with the Sheriff’s Office, where he served 6 years, before being promoted to the K-9 Division. Handler Ledet honorably served in the Army National Guard during his tenure with the Sheriff’s Office and is also a member of the TPSO Swat Team, which he has served for 3 years. Handler Ledet’s goals are to make the K-9 Division a lifelong career.
Sheriff Soignet said, “I can’t say enough about how important the K-9 Division is to what we do as Law Enforcement professionals. Day in, and day out they train and are prepared to do whatever is asked of them for the betterment and safety of our community. I am honored by the dedication of each, and every handler and K-9 partner, and I’m proud they serve the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office.”
For more information on the event, please visit https://nndda.org/.