First AISD crime-fighting dog retires

AUSTIN (KXAN) - After 11 years of keeping schools safe and drug-free, K-9 Officer Buddy is retiring his badge from the Austin ISD Police Department.

In 2001 Buddy became the first K-9 officer to join the force.

Buddy is a highly decorated pup, as a two-time Police Olympic medalist in narcotic detection and responsible for more than 1,000 narcotic-related finds that have led to arrests.

Most notably, the crime-fighting dog worked to recover a large amount of cocaine and marijuana from a car in “Project Delirium," a nationwide investigation with other agencies including the FBI.

Buddy’s service has not just been used by AISD police but also Austin Community College, the University of Texas and the Rollingwood and Austin police departments. He’s also worked alongside the Travis County Sheriff’s Department.

Buddy will spend his well-deserved retirement with his partner, AISD Police Detective Travis Pickford.

More on Project Delirium

In a targeted attack on the La Familia Michoacana drug cartel, authorities arrested 35 people in Austin nearly a year ago.

The Drug Enforcement Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Texas Department of Public Safety and Austin Police Department, along with other local law enforcement agencies, raided 11 addresses in Austin as part of "Project Delirium," an effort that involved 20 months of a series of investigations nationwide.

Officials seized drugs, weapons and more than $150,000 in cash. Authorities said it is a significant blow to the cartel in the Austin area.

Nationwide, officials seized thousands of pounds of illegal drugs and millions in cash.

• $62 million in U.S. currency
• approximately 2,773 pounds of methamphetamine
• 2,722 kilograms of cocaine
• 1,005 pounds of heroin
• 14,818 pounds of marijuana
• $3.8 million in other assets.

Project Delirium is the result of information gathered during the course of a previous effort targeting La Familia, known as Project Coronado, which culminated in 2009.

Charges against those arrested include:

• conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana
• distribution of methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana
• conspiracy to import narcotics into the United States
• money laundering; and other violations of federal law.