The Dukes meet Duke . . . and learn about Justice, as York County Sheriff’s Office treats kids to visit

​YORK – The York Public Schools fifth graders got a fun treat this week when they were surprised by the York County Sheriff’s Office.

​Lt. Alex Hildebrand, Sgt. Taylor Samek and Deputy Deion Hulse arrived at the York Elementary School after the noon recess.
Of course, the kids wanted to know why they were there.
“We have a new police dog,” Sgt. Samek said. “And his name is . . . well, what is your mascot?”
“The Dukes!” the kids yelled.
“Well, his name is Duke and he’s here to meet you,” Sgt. Samek said. “You are the first Dukes that Duke has met so far.”
Of course, that brought great applause.
Justice, who is seven years old and has been with the YSO for some time, opened the event while Duke prepared for his entrance.
Sgt. Samek, who works and lives with Justice, explained how she was born in Poland and that’s why he gives her commands in Czech instead of English – which answered many kids’ questions who noticed the words they didn’t understand but Justice sure did.
Sgt. Samek explained how they had hidden some drugs in a locker area where they were standing. Justice was at full attention the entire time Sgt. Samek was speaking.
“Why is she sort of shaking?” one student asked.
“And look at her ears, standing straight up!” another added.
“That’s because she’s excited to go to work,” Sgt. Samek said.
And once she got the command, she certainly went to work. Within seconds, she alerted to where the drugs were located and immediately got her favorite toy.
Then Duke made his entrance. He works and lives with Deputy Hulse and is a 1 ½-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer. He recently passed the State of Nebraska Narcotics Detection Certification, demonstrating his proficiency and readiness to assist in narcotics enforcement efforts.
“He’s so much more excited!” the kids pointed out.
Sgt. Samek said yes, this is true, “because he’s still young. He’s really sort of a puppy still.”
“And he speaks English!” another noticed.
“That’s because he was born in Ohio,” Sgt. Samek explained. “He was raised and trained speaking English.”
Duke also displayed his talent, quickly alerting to where the drugs had been hidden by deputies and he also was given his very special toy.
The fifth graders were full of questions.
Can different kinds of dogs be drug dogs? Sgt. Samek said yes, but they need to have a lot of energy and be ready to work all the time. He also noted how the canine teams for the YSO work at night, “so while you guys are home sleeping, we are out making sure everything is safe.”
Will Duke and Justice chase and attack bad guys? No, Sgt. Samek said . . . these dogs are only trained to sniff out narcotics.
A lot of students have dogs of their own at home and they were very willing to share information about those animals as well.
“Everyone loves dogs, don’t they?” Sgt. Samek said. “They are very smart and they have a great sense of smell.”
There were plenty of questions about high-speed pursuits, where drug searches have been conducted and what the dogs like to eat. When it came to the dogs’ favorite food, it was disclosed how both Duke and Justice prefer chicken.
“What don’t they like?” the kids asked. Turns out, Duke doesn’t like going near bathrooms and Justice hates getting a bath.
Sgt. Samek noted how it takes months of training for the right dog to become certified and then the training never ever ends. “We are constantly training because that keeps us all sharp.”
Sgt. Samek also talked about making good personal choices, regarding refraining from drug use and illegal activity, “and learning from our choices. That’s something to keep in mind as you get older.
"And if you guys ever need anything, you ever need some help, just call us and we will be there," Sgt. Samek said.
"You mean by calling 911?" a couple of students asked.
"Yep," Sgt. Samek said. "We will show up."