The Vicksburg Police Department’s newest recruit is only 4 years old and weighs just 95 pounds — but he has a keen nose.

Ranger, a Dutch shepherd, was approved for active duty Monday by the Vicksburg Board of Mayor and Aldermen, and he’ll begin serving immediately with his trainer and owner, Officer Rick McDaniel.

“We’re going to use this dog primarily for narcotics cases and searches, but he’ll also be used in carrying out high-risk warrants and in tracking situations,” McDaniel said.

McDaniel has worked with police dogs for a decade and was with the Canton Police Department before joining the Vicksburg force in September. Ranger becomes the third police canine in the Vicksburg department, and McDaniel said he will be a great asset in combating drug traffic on Interstate 20.

“I-20 is a very important route for drug traffickers, especially right now, when the Mexican drug cartels are getting into harvest season,” McDaniel said, noting the peak time for interstate drug transport will run through May.

When law enforcement agencies confiscate drugs, drug money or weapons, they get to keep 80 percent of the haul when the suspects are convicted, said Police Chief Walter Armstrong. The local district attorney gets the other 20 percent. While with the Canton department, McDaniel said Ranger was responsible for bringing in $278,000 in confiscated drugs, cash and goods from stops along Interstate 55 over a two-year period.

“It’s not just the money. The main thing is getting the dope off the street and out of some kids’ hands,” McDaniel said. “The money is just icing on the cake.”

Ranger has been doing police work since 2007, using training he started receiving when he was 6 months old. In 2008, Ranger finished fourth in the National Narcotic Detector Dog Association competition among a field of 400 dogs from the United States, Canada and Mexico.

“He works every day, sometimes as many as 12 to 15 hours,” said McDaniel.

Along with approving Ranger for the force, the mayor and aldermen approved providing McDaniel with added compensation for training and handling of the dog. Officers who handle department dogs receive an additional 3.5 hours on their paycheck each week, said Armstrong. Two other officers, Leonce Young and Bo McLeod, currently handle police canines. However, McLeod has been serving in Iraq with the 114th Military Police Company since August.

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Contact Steve Sanoski at ssanoski@vicksburgpost.com