Grant County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Seth Hinkle, left, will be trained to be a K-9 drug detection handler. The K-9 will be working in jail around the beginning of 2026. Also pictured are deputies Sarah Bradshaw and Regan Halterman.
November 4, 2025
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GCSO to purchase new drug detection K-9
EPHRATA – The Grant County Sheriff’s Office is currently in the process of purchasing a drug detection K-9 for use both inside the Grant County Jail and for deployment into the field. "The addition of a drug detection K-9 not only adds safety for inmates and jail employees but also helps improve the quality of professional service our corrections staff delivers to the community," said Phil Coats, Chief Deputy of Corrections in a statement from GCSO. "This enhancement will start at the existing jail and will move with us as we enter our new jail in 2026." The K-9 is being funded in part by settlement money received from Washington state lawsuits filed against three U.S. opioid-distribution companies for their role in the opioid epidemic. GCSO is investing nearly $28,000 to purchase the K-9, train it and its handler and provide opioid overdose-reversal kits.