Meet Wes, Sycamore’s first K-9 police officer

SYCAMORE – Wes is one of the city of Sycamore’s newest police officers and known so far for the strength of his nose.

A Belgian Malinois, Wes is partners with patrol officer Greyson Scott, and together they make up the department’s first K-9 unit.

Considered a “dual purpose canine,” Wes is capable of tracking human odor, finding evidence by sniffing clothing, and sniffing and detecting narcotics such as heroin, meth, cocaine and MDMA, also known as ecstasy. The K-9 also is trained to help apprehend suspects.

“There’s a long list of different types of calls that where we can use him to assist, whether that’s finding an elderly person that walks away and can’t be found, he’s able to track human odor, or if there’s narcotics in a vehicle or whatever, he’s able to find those,” Scott said. “So there’s a whole list of uses that he has.”

It’s like every single day we’re learning and figuring out like different ways he can be utilized just because we’ve never had this program before.”

—  Greyson Scott, Sycamore police officer

Scott’s been developing the program from scratch since Wes joined Sycamore’s ranks in August.

Sycamore Police Chief Jim Winters said Scott naturally wants to be engaged and involved with the police force, so when he was ready to green light the K-9 unit, Scott was the obvious choice to head the new program.

“Greyson was the perfect fit for it. Not only his enthusiasm to get that program going, do the research, make sure that we funded it properly, make sure we had policies in place – make sure that, and most importantly that we had a commitment to that program because it is a huge responsibility being a canine handler,” Winters said. “It’s not like where you just leave the dog at the police department. The dog goes home with you every night. When you’re off, that dog’s with you, so it’s a huge responsibility and a huge commitment, and Greyson was the guy that was the obvious choice to do that, and he has taken the program from ground zero.”

Wes is a valuable tool in Sycamore police officer’s belt, and his uses for policing evolve as he works with Scott to hone his skills.

“It’s like every single day we’re learning and figuring out like different ways he can be utilized just because we’ve never had this program before,” Scott said.

A 2010 Sycamore High School graduate, Scott, 32, married his high school sweetheart.

He said he felt called to return to his hometown to serve as a police officer.

“Part of the reason I wanted to come back and work for the Sycamore Police Department was that connection I had, obviously, growing up here,” Scott said. “When I was a kid I very well remember I always felt safe in this city. I have appreciated what Sycamore has given me, and for me it is kind of an opportunity to work for the city to kind of give back.”