Board hears plan for Auburn‑trained gun‑detection dogs to augment school security

Major Robin Curtis of the county sheriff's office described a new canine program that will deploy two Auburn‑trained Labrador littermates to Wilson County schools for gun detection and deterrence. "In short, they're gun detection dogs," Curtis said, explaining the dogs are kinetic (able to search while moving) and will be assigned to zones and rotate between schools.

Curtis said the dogs have completed training and will be used unpredictably — present for detection and for training staff and students to be comfortable with them — and will perform morning and afternoon checks. Board members asked about budget, numbers and handler arrangements; members also remarked on positive student reactions when dogs visit schools.

The director and board framed the canine program as one layer of a broader security strategy that also includes SROs and expanded weapons‑detection pilots. Officials stressed that the dogs are a deterrent and that they hope the dogs never detect a weapon in a school, but that their presence and training value support safety efforts.