By Connor Loyd 

For the Enquirer  

June 7, the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office won $2,500 after competing in a national competition, The Aftermath K9 Grant. 

The annual competition is run by Aftermath Services, a premier provider of professional biohazard remediation and crime scene cleanup across the United States. In total, the yearly grant gives away $15,000 to law enforcement and first responders. 

The winners were determined by the number of votes they received. People were allowed to vote once daily on Aftermath’s official voting website, as well as once a day on Facebook and Instagram by liking the daily post and commenting which agency they wished to vote for. 

Mike Swafford, the Public Information Officer for the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office, said the office promoted the grant contest through its social media which routinely reaches 1 to 1.4 million individuals each month. Swafford said individuals were also able to vote on the MCSO app.  

The Morgan County Sheriff’s Office won the national grand prize for tier 4; tiers were based on the number of full and part-time employees the agencies participating have.  

“Our human K9 Deputies are very excited and appreciate the outpouring of support from the community,” Swafford said. “They worked to locate the grant opportunity and are proud that it was a success.” 

The Sheriff’s Office plans to use the $2,500 prize money to maintain their K9 program by funding vet visits, food and equipment, according to Swafford.  

“We currently have 6 K9 Deputies: SRO K9 Emma, Patrol K9s Gator and Luna, Narcotics K9s Peluche and Mabel, Corrections K9 Tango,” Swafford explained. “Our K9s hold multiple certifications, primarily apprehension, drug detection and tracking.”