He feared law enforcement. Now he and a K9 share a special bond thanks to police social workers
Mozart is an electronic detection K9 at the Boone County Sheriff's Office. He doesn't cling to many people other than his handler
By Valerie Lyons
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BURLINGTON, Kentucky (WCPO) — Mozart is an electronic detection K9 at the Boone County Sheriff’s Office. He doesn’t cling to many people other than his handler, but he’ll always rest his head on Ricky Ross’s lap.
The 35-year-old has autism, and though he doesn’t communicate with people easily, Ross and “Mo” — as he affectionately calls him — share a special bond.
“He touches my heart. He’s my best friend forever,” Ross said. “I love Mo.”
The two met around six months ago when Ross and his mother, Margie, stopped by the sheriff’s office. It was a pivotal visit for Ross because by setting foot inside the building, he was overcoming one of his greatest fears.
“He was scared to death of the police,” Margie said. “And I’m not sure why, but he was definitely terrified of them.”
Mother and son stopped at the station because Ross wanted to meet a police dog. But with a lifelong aversion to law enforcement, it was a desire sparked by careful prompting.
Weeks before Ross and Mo’s introduction, a woman named Megan Green spent time with Ross answering any questions he had. The sheriff’s office assigned her to do so because of her expertise as a police social worker (PSW).
Green is one of three PSWs at BCSO. We introduced you to her colleague last summer when the PSW program got underway in Boone County.
The team operates as an extension of the sheriff’s office, with each member serving as a “second responder” to aid in crisis intervention. PSWs are tasked with helping residents affected by substance use disorders, opioid use disorders, and/or mental health disorders in the community.
Margie learned of the program not long after it launched. She thought a PSW could help her son, so she talked to Ricky’s therapist, who then gave the county a call.
“It’s been very, very good for him,” Margie said. “I’m just thrilled with it. It has done so much for Ricky in as far as believing in himself and knowing that there is somebody out there that can help him if he needs the help.”
The first time they met, Green drove out to Ross’s house — a simple conversation that created a lasting connection.
“It was awesome. I explained what law enforcement is for, what to expect, and then I was able to schedule a second visit, and I brought an officer with me. That was really cool because he got to meet an officer, ask them questions, get to know the person and see what the uniform looks like,” Green said. “He said he would never come visit because he was too scared, because he thought if he came here, it meant he was going to jail.”
Ross didn’t go to jail. He bridged a mental and emotional divide. He met his favorite four-legged deputy, too.
He and his mom try to stop by the sheriff’s office every month now. Green said she still maintains a strong relationship with Ross even though, officially, his case has been closed.
“A lot of times, what we do is we help the people get the resources they need, we connect them, and then once they’re at that resource, we step back,” Green said. “And so having that ongoing relationship with him has been so fun. I never know when he’s going to show up to visit. He always surprises me. It’s a really fun time.”
Since January, Green and her colleagues have interacted with more than 300 people in the community. Though each PSW handles a mixed bag of cases at any given time, Ross’s situation was an outlier compared to most.
BCSO responds to several hundred thousand calls for service every year. The department estimates that more than half of those calls are either drug or mental health-related.
Green said her team will step in in those cases because they can be handled without intervention from law enforcement.
Other examples of calls PSWs may respond to include supporting children exposed to addiction, violence or trauma of a loved one, connecting older adults with resources to carry out daily activities and providing resources to those suffering from opioid use disorder, such as rehab group suggestions or Narcan.
“We’re definitely seeing the ones where you see repeat calls. You’re going out to the same address, the same people, and once we’re now able to get involved, we’re seeing a decrease in that,” Green said. “We’re able to check that their resources are still working, they’re connected — and a lot of the time, they don’t know what resources are out there. That’s what we’re here for.”
The Boone County Fiscal Court funds the program through dollars allocated throughout Kentucky from a national opioid settlement. Laura Pleiman, who serves as director of community services and programs for the county, estimates the funds will total more than $4 million over the next 8 to 10 years.
Pleiman said the PSW program’s success over the past 10 months has proven to be a worthy investment for the county.
“Besides working with folks like Ricky, our team has worked with numerous individuals. Just (Tuesday), we had an individual who was recently released from jail and ready to access treatment. He came to the sheriff’s office. Our PSWs were able to connect him to a treatment service provider for substance use and get him connected to that right away,” Pleiman said. “So, being here when folks are ready, providing that open right door for those individuals, as part of that larger CARES team response to substance use within Northern Kentucky, I think is a huge asset for us.”
Pleiman said the county would consider hiring more PSWs and expanding the program should the need arise. However, plans are already in the works to utilize PSWs as family coordinators when there is a death by suicide in the community.
Though not a suicide, Green did respond to an incident in Union when a 28-year-old man was killed after his truck bed fell on him. Green supported the man’s colleagues and family at home, while another PSW went with law enforcement to notify the family.
“Our coroner’s office has said having this team here really fills out our response here in Boone County, that they are able to respond in a way that the coroner’s office cannot, that the sheriff’s office cannot, because they have very specific duties and jobs that they need to fulfill when they respond to scenes like this,” Pleiman said. “So, having our PSWs there and having this approach and working with those survivors and making those connections — it’s really tremendous.”
You can learn more about Boone County’s PSW program here. The service is free to the public.
“It’s really helped me. It really has,” Ross said.
“It’s wonderful. I think anybody that has a chance and can take advantage of it should do it,” said Margie. “I wanted to do this so I could let other parents and caregivers of children like Ricky, who have this issue, know that this does exist and they need to see about getting their child into it too because it’s well worth it. Believe me, it is.”
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