A peek inside the CCSO

WALLISVILLE— The Chambers County Sheriff's Office is in the midst of its annual Citizens Academy, and recently, participants learned of the capabilities of K-9s and various units and their specialties.

The CCSO began its annual Citizens Academy on April 3 to finish May 22, and on Thursday, May 8, it was all about the special investigations, crime prevention, criminal interdiction, and canine units.

"I've always wanted to just be out there with the community and policing is a job that's different every day," Capt. Tanner Dickens said. "It's engaging, it gets us out in the community, and it makes a true difference."

Dickens led the class, sharing details of various units and what they do. 

The special investigations unit does not conduct traffic stops but instead conducts longer-term investigations. CCSO works with a local car rental agency to swap out cars to maintain cover.

The crime prevention unit conducts proactive criminal investigations, hoping to prevent crimes before they happen, focusing on detecting and intercepting crimes on interstates and highways.

Dickens noted that as a population increases, crime is likely to increase, and substance use is on the rise on the west side of the county.

This unit focuses on high traffic areas, utilizes tips from the community, coordinates and conducts special operations and works with detectives in ongoing investigations.

The criminal interdiction unit primarily handles narcotics and large amounts of paper currency, a sign of criminal activity, either through their own department or by working with local, state and federal agencies.

Dickens said, "crime travels," so a deputy on the unit utilizes a special program that allows him to target vehicles on the interstate.

The program checks readers, marking vehicles that head to Georgia and back within three days. The vehicles are listed in the program and the deputy pulls them over when spotted.

On the day of the class, the deputy was able to confiscate a kilogram of cocaine from a driver, who had his child in the vehicle, using the program.

Dickens said the unit primarily finds currency headed westbound and narcotics headed eastbound.

In 2024, the six-person unit seized 3,032 grams of methamphetamine, 28,267 grams of cocaine, 89 grams of fentanyl, 320 ounces of marijuana, 27 firearms and more. Between four deputies, 193 arrests were made that year.

CCSO has three K-9s, Bama, Blitz and Sigma.

K-9s are typically used for crime prevention, narcotics, guns and explosives detection; criminal apprehension; and more.

"I've always had a love for dogs and just to be able to be at a department that allows me to work with the dog kind of builds a cohesive bond between us," Deputy Lunsford, K-9 handler of Sigma, said. "He's part of the family."

A K-9's sense of smell isn't just stronger, but it can detect and compartmentalize each smell.

Lunsford used a gumbo theory as an example. The K-9s don't smell gumbo, they smell flour, oil, onions, etc.

Towards the end of the class, attendees participated in a traffic scenario and watched a few K-9 skills.

Two attendees were given the prompt of traveling from Brownsville to Atlanta, Georgia, and tasked to create a story with the goal of having matching details when questioned.

While they were creating their story, the remaining attendees were asked to hide narcotics in a vehicle for deputies to find.

The pair initially had matching stories, but more minor details did not match up, leading deputies to search the vehicle.

Lunsford and Sigma showed detection and apprehension skills to end the class, both displaying a passion for what they do.

"Before we go to work, we have the same routine every time," Lunsford said. "I'll get him on the bed, I'll put his collar on, and he starts acting crazy."

To contact the sheriff's office, call 409-267-2500. To contact CCSO Crime Stoppers to leave an anonymous tip, call 844-860-8477. For emergencies, call 911. CCSO also has a phone app, "Chambers County SO (TX)."