TAVARES -- Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody came to Tavares on National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day to present an award to Samba, a vape detecting dog that works for the Lake County Sheriff’s Office in Lake schools.
“Many of you might remember back in 2018 when I first became the attorney general we were seeing some shocking numbers of students, down to elementary school, vaping not only in the communities but while at school,” Moody said during a press conference on Thursday. “You would not believe the amount of vaping devices that have been confiscated throughout Florida. … We know that vaping is harmful to children’s overall development and health. We also know it can be very addicting for children. …So, to have a tool like Samba here who can now detect these on school campuses is really a game changer.”
Samba is a yellow Labrador retriever from Columbia, South America, who completed 120 hours of training with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office to detect nicotine oils and THC oils used in vape pens. She walks through middle and high schools with her handler, Erica Stamborski, and gives a passive alert when she detects the oils.
“I am proud to present a ‘Back the Blue’ Award not only to her handler but specifically to Samba,” Moody said, as she presented Samba with an edible rawhide and Stamborski with two certificates – one for each of them. “Since her deployment, [Samba] has uncovered dozens of illicit vape devices in schools.”
Sheriff Peyton Grinnell touted the relationship between the sheriff’s office and the school district saying, “Teamwork makes things like this possible.”
Superintendent Diane Kornegay agreed. “The collaboration is amazing,” she said. “It truly is a partnership that we are very fortunate to have.”
Last year, the partnership was recognized by The Florida Association of School Resource Officers. They selected the Lake County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Deputy Unit as the Agency of the Year. The award is presented annually to an agency that has made significant contributions to the protection of students and staff through training, professional development and organizational efficiency to make schools in their community safer places.
“Thank you to all who wear a badge across the state of Florida,” Moody said. “We are so grateful that you signed up to selflessly serve the state and its citizens. We would not be the successful strong state that we are with you. So, today on National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, we say thank you.”