LOWVILLE — Lewis County legislators got a first-hand look at the capabilities of the Sheriff’s Department’s new police dog, Wyman.

“He’s all business,” Undersheriff James M. Monnat told lawmakers during their reorganizational meeting Tuesday. “All he wants to do is work. It’s nice to have employees like that.”

During a demonstration Tuesday, handler Daryl R. Ortlieb led the dog throughout the legislative chambers in a search of a piece of PVC pipe containing marijuana.

The canine officer, who went on duty a few weeks ago, found it fastened to the chair of County Manager David H. Pendergast.

The dog already has assisted with four drug-related arrests and is trained to conduct searches for missing people or suspects, Mr. Monnat said. “He’s doing quite well,” he said.

Wyman, a 1½-year-old German shepherd imported from the Czech Republic, was named for Oneida County Sheriff’s Deputy Kurt Wyman, who was killed in an armed standoff in June 2011.

The dog’s purchase, training and equipment were covered by forfeiture money from the district attorney’s office, along with donations from the Lowville Elks Lodge and several individuals.

New Legislature Chairman Michael A. Tabolt, R-Croghan, at Tuesday’s meeting also introduced a resolution that would amend the standing rules of the Board of Legislators to give oversight of the Human Resources Department to the legislative County Officers and Employees, Veterans Services, Junkyard Inspector and Historian Committee.

While the county Human Resources Department was implemented in late 2011, it was never formally placed under the supervision of one of the nine legislative committees, as other county departments are.

Mr. Tabolt’s proposed resolution is intended to rectify that situation.

According to county law, changes to standing rules must be introduced and read for information, then adopted at a subsequent meeting. So the resolution won’t be voted on until the next meeting of the Legislature.

Thousands of readers like you have made Northern New York Newspapers the number one ranked website* for local news and sports coverage in the north country.

You can continue on to this article in a few seconds, or you can visit one of our websites:

• Watertown Daily Times
• The Ogdensburg Journal
• Daily Courier-Observer