Pen pups: Why more police dogs are going to work in jails

We’re used to seeing police dogs out on the street alongside officers and deputies, but these days a growing number of K-9 units are at work out of the public eye and behind steel doors in jails.

It’s a trend driven largely by the growing dangers of highly potent drugs like fentanyl being smuggled into correctional facilities, and the creative ways they’re getting there, including in liquid drug-soaked papers and drone drops.

“We continue to see dangerous drugs such as fentanyl, methamphetamine, marijuana, liquid-soaked papers, suboxone strips, amphetamines, mushrooms and vapes,” William K. Marshall III, director of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, said in a report this year.

“One breach can cost lives,” he added.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office added to the ranks in late April, when it welcomed Brek as its first jail canine and one of the first at a suburban correctional facility. A 16-month-old Belgian Malinois/German shepherd mix, Brek is working alongside his partner, corrections officer Michael Mazurkiewicz.

Keeping contraband out, and finding it if it slips through the cracks, are among Brek’s primary duties.

“We search every nook and cranny of this place,” said Mazurkiewicz, who completed a 300-hour training course with Brek before they went to work in the jail together.

The Kane County jail has two police dogs assigned to it full time — Thor, a Belgian Malinois/Dutch shepherd mix, and Aldo, a Labrador retriever. Both are trained in narcotics detection.

“These specialized canines enhance the Sheriff’s Office’s ability to proactively detect and deter the introduction of illegal substances into the jail, while also supporting the overall safety, security and orderly operation of the facility,” Undersheriff Amy Johnson said.

In addition to searching their facilities, the dogs provide security to jail staff and inmates. That’s especially important in Lake, a “direct supervision” facility in which officers aren’t separated from inmates by walls and windows.

“We try to be a Swiss army knife, and help any way we can,” Mazurkiewicz told us. “If we can prevent a fight, or prevent an officer from getting hurt, that’s a win in my book.”

The Cook County Sheriff’s Office, which operates the largest jail in the country, has been far ahead of the trend, first assigning K-9 units to 26th and California way back in 1993. Today, there are five dogs assigned to the jail, where they assist in searches for drugs and weapons, as well as screen mail.

“They are invaluable in detecting contraband that can jeopardize the health and safety of our staff and individuals in custody,” sheriff’s spokeswoman Sophia Ansari said.

Swindler sentenced

A California man who authorities say swindled a suburban resident out of $2 million by posing as an investment adviser was sentenced Tuesday to 2⅟₂ years in a federal prison.

Raymond Echavez Villamor, 62, of Newport Beach, obtained the $2 million from a Glenview resident in 2023 by making false representations about the purported investment and promising that the victim would receive all his money back, plus a substantial return, prosecutors say.

He instead used the money on personal expenses, including to purchase vintage automobiles. Villamor had also raised funds from other investors and used some of the money from the Glenview resident to repay those investors in classic Ponzi-scheme conduct, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.

Villamor pleaded guilty in 2025 to a federal wire fraud charge. In addition to serving prison time, he was ordered to pay full restitution to his victim.

DuPage + DCFS

In what they’re calling “an important step forward” in protecting the community’s children, the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office has announced that it’s assigning a deputy to team with Illinois Department of Children and Family Services investigators on local cases.

The partnership is designed to improve coordination, response times and information-sharing between the agencies, officials said.

“By working side-by-side with DCFS, we are building a stronger, more coordinated response to ensure children are safe and families receive the support they need,” Sheriff James Mendrick said in the announcement.

The deputy will be tasked with working alongside DCFS investigators on child abuse and neglect cases that require the involvement of law enforcement, and help to ensure that kids in vulnerable situations receive timely protection.

Under the terms of the agreement, DCFS will reimburse the sheriff’s office for the deputy’s work.

• Do you have a tip or a comment? Email us at copsandcrime@dailyherald.com.