In March 2017, Officer Jason Parce and K9 Cairo began deploying full time as a certified narcotics detection team for the City of Kalispell Police Department. Since then, Jason and Cairo have become well known in the community for their reliable detection record, and for their inspiring ambassadorship of the open, community-minded focus of the Police Department. 2017 was a year of growth and adjustment for the team as they built trust of each other and the community learned to trust them.
2018 has been a year of building on that trust, and continuing to maintain momentum and mature as a team. Officer’s Jason Parce and Cairo were deployed 55 times for the city of Kalispell in 2018. 37 search warrants were written and served by the canine team, with all those searches resulting in criminal charges, ranging from simple possession, to criminal distribution of dangerous drugs - primarily meth and heroin. They also assisted six different agencies throughout Flathead County, totaling another 18 canine deployments. Besides physically helping keep drugs off the streets, they provided 92 community and school presentations forming important relationships, inspiring young and old alike, and talking about good life choices to help keep drugs from ruining lives into the future. Jason & Cairo also spent 250 hours on continuous canine maintenance training, an essential element to a successful K9 team.
In 2019, Officer Parce and Officer Cairo plan to continue to build upon the relationships they have made in the community and support their fellow Officers and Community Partners to decrease the negative effects of dangerous drugs in the Flathead Valley.
If you'd like to see a year in review video of Officers Parce and Cairo, you can find it on the city Facebook page!