Also honored during Monday’s board of county commissioners’ meeting was a 10-year veteran of the sheriff’s office, one of the department’s top canines, “Grim.”
Sergeant Mike Apple accepted a plaque from sheriff Terry Johnson and Alamance County commissioner chairman John Paisley, Jr., recognizing his dog’s service to the department.
Grim is a cross between a German Shepherd/Belgian Malinois and is 12 years old; he has served at the Alamance County sheriff’s office since March 2012.
Grim and Sgt. Apple worked together on patrol for many years and have spent the last five years assigned to the Special Operations Unit, according to the sheriff’s office.
Grim has been an integral part of the Special Operations Unit and has served the sheriff’s office and other law enforcement agencies during his career. Grim and Sgt. Apple could always be counted on to “run a track” for a missing person, wanted person, or person who have fled from traffic stops or other scenes, according to the sheriff’s office.
Examples of Grim’s actions were cited:
Sgt. Apple once received a call from a fellow deputy advising that a male subject walked off from his home threatening suicide. Grim tracked the man and located him as he was attempting to hang himself.
Sgt. Apple and Grim were called late one evening to help locate a person who overdosed on his medication. Sgt. Apple was told that if the patient could not be found, he would likely die. The patient left on foot into the woods. Grim started tracking and found the patient who then was treated on scene by EMS and taken to the hospital.
Over Grim’s 10 years of service, he was responsible for numerous narcotics seizures including large amounts of cash for this agency and surrounding agencies, resulting in an untold amount of arrests.
During his tenure, Grim’s keen nose led to the impressive totals detailed below, according to the sheriff’s office:
- 18 persons located (suspects and missing persons);
- $1.9 million in US currency seized;
- 4 wanted person apprehensions;
- 150 kilos of cocaine seized;
- 66 kilos of methamphetamine seized;
- 180 grams of heroin seized;
- 5 kilos of marijuana seized; and
- 294 firearms seized.
In retirement, Grim will live with his long-time partner and handler, Sgt. Apple, who has not retired.
