When the sheriff rolls up to a local academy, it's not always the badge that gets the buzz. That's what happened last Friday when Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin visited Franklin Learning Academy. The sheriff was there ostensibly to engage with students before their courthouse tour, but it was the department's Crisis K9, Sunny, who stole the show.
The Franklin County Sheriff's Office shared a social media post, noting that "Sometimes the toughest questions come from the youngest residents of Franklin County." This implies that the children were just as ready to deeply engage as they were to delight in Sunny's presence. Sheriff Baldwin fielded those questions, apparently with aplomb, before the students proceeded to understand more closely the workings of the justice system they were about to observe.
The star canine is part of the sheriff's office Crisis K9 unit, a team dedicated to providing aid and comfort in times of stress. Sunny's role during the visit underscores a reality often overlooked, within law enforcement, there's room yet for a gentler touch, especially when it comes to education and outreach programs targeting the youth.
During the exchange, the Franklin Learning Academy students managed to enjoy the furry companion and engage with the sheriff seriously. "Sheriff Baldwin spoke with a group of students from Franklin Learning Academy before they took a tour of the Courthouse Friday – and they had plenty of questions!" the Franklin County Sheriff's Office post reads. Whether those questions were eased out by Sunny's calming influence wasn't explicitly stated, but it's hard not to imagine that to be the case.
