The American Falls Police Department recently added its firstever canine officer to the force, and the dog has already helped get some illegal drugs off the streets.

K-9 officer Havok joined AFPD in April to work with his handler Sgt. Engle, who has been with the police department for more than a decade. Havok is trained in drug detection and has located drugs on several occasions since joining the force, including during a recent response where he sniffed out 3.5 pounds of marijuana.

Havok was a Bingham County Sheriff 's Office canine, and he transitioned to the police department in American Falls after the agency raised money to purchase him. The canine officer cost about $1,500, plus the cost of his gear. He has been entirely funded by donations to the police department from local businesses.

Police Chief Brandon Wilkinson said Havok is a valuable addition to his team.

"Our major goal is to get any narcotics that we can off our streets, especially out of our schools and away from our youth," Wilkinson said. "Havok is going to play a major role in that. Other agencies have been so gracious to assist us and bring their dogs whenever we've called needing canines in the past, but now having our own dog is a major asset to our communities as we try to combat narcotics."

Since being certified in July, Havok and his handler have located methamphetamine and marijuana. Wilkinson stressed the importance of finding these substances.

Marijuana sometimes isn't just marijuana anymore, he said. It's increasingly being laced with fentanyl and, in those cases, can have deadly effects on its consumers. Having a canine officer to help decrease the amount of potentially deadly substances circulating in the American Falls area is invaluable to public safety.

"We're starting to see more and more drugs being laced with fentanyl and that's why it's extremely scary and alarming," he said. "But these generous donations from the community and businesses have given us an amazing opportunity to have Havok on our team and keep any types of narcotics off our streets."

As for whether the police agency hopes to bring on more canines in the future, Wilkinson said he's just looking forward to seeing what Havok can accomplish in American Falls and the surrounding areas where he will also respond if needed.

"It will be interesting to see if he's going to be able to meet all of our needs or if our need grows, then maybe there would be another opportunity to bring on another canine," he said. "But as for right now, we'll see what he can help us accomplish and if he can help us meet the needs of our community."