Racine County sheriff's deputy named Wisconsin K-9 Handler of the Year

RACINE -- A Racine County sheriff's deputy has been named as the State of Wisconsin K-9 Handler of the Year. Deputy Ed Drewitz and his K-9 partner Friday were recognized on Tuesday, Oct. 15 at the annual Wisconsin Law Enforcement Canine Handler Association conference.

A news release says Deputy Drewitz and Friday competed against several teams from across the State for this prestigious award and were ultimately selected as the top team.

Handlers are recognized for their individual efforts with their K-9 partner, commitment to their unit, and their interaction and involvement with the community. More specifically, awards are based on the number of K-9 deployments, successful tracking events, evidence recovery, narcotics discovery and participation in community and fundraising events.

In addition to the K-9 Handler of the year award, Deputy Drewitz and K-9 Friday were also awarded for the narcotics find of the year. The award was based on a traffic stop conducted on Sept. 6, 2018 on I-94 and State Highway 20. Deputy Drewitz and Friday conducted a vehicle walk around and subsequent search of a vehicle that resulted in the discovery of 1024.4 grams of methamphetamines.