GREENE: K-9 Officer Neko retires, handler Deputy Elliott set to retire next month

By Editor | January 11, 2024 |

Deputy Cliff Elliott with an eagle he saved a few years ago and K-9 Officer Neko prior to his retirement. Neko officially became the property of Deputy Elliott upon his retirement after resolution was passed by the Greene County Board. Sheriff’s Dept. loses K-9 and handler to retirement. (Submitted photos)

By Carmen Ensinger

In a double blow, the Greene County Sheriff’s Department is losing both it’s K-9 officer and handler to retirement at almost the same time.
K-9 Officer Neko was retired on Dec. 31, 2023 due to health issues after faithfully serving the county for seven years. His handler, Deputy Cliff Elliott, will retire effective this coming February after serving almost 25 years with the Greene County Sheriff’s Department.
“It has been a pleasure having a dedicated Deputy such as Deputy Elliott working for me,” Sheriff Rob McMillen said. “Replacing him with someone who will mimic his drive and experience will be a challenge.”
As for K-9 Officer Neko, he will be retiring with Deputy Elliott.
“We have a policy that says that at the end of a K-9 officer’s career, the county can gift the K-9 to the handler if they wish to take him or her,” McMillen said. “Or, the K-9 Officer can go to another law enforcement officer in the county. Should no other officer in the county be interested in adopting him, then he can be adopted out to the public.”
McMillen said he knew there would be no question as to where Neko would be going once he was retired.
“Cliff and Neko were pretty much inseparable so there was no question that Cliff would want him once we retired him,” McMillen said. “So, at last month’s Greene County board meeting, we passed a resolution to let him be adopted so he is officially Cliff’s property now.”
Neko is an eight-year-old Belgian Malinois that was donated to the department, along with a vehicle, back in 2016 from the Howard Buffet Foundation of Decatur.
His retirement comes a few years earlier than expected.
“He had started to have some medical issues come upon him that would make him not suitable for another go through the academy,” McMillen said. “Plus, he had started to have some back issues, which is common in that breed. It just seemed it was the time for him to retire.”
McMillen said since Neko was retiring that Elliott figured he might as well retire as well.
“Cliff had already been tossing around the idea of retiring for a little while, but I think if Neko would have been medically okay to work another couple of years I think Cliff would have gone ahead and stayed,” McMillen said. “But, with Neko retiring, I think that Cliff just kind of that that it would be a good time for him to retire too. He had his years of service in and he was eligible to retire.”
As for whether or not the county will have another K-9 officer in the near future, McMillen said that is uncertain at this point in time.
“I’m interested in continuing the K-9 program for the county,” McMillen said. “The main problem I will have is securing the funding to replace the dog and the training. We still have all of the other stuff – the vehicle and all the equipment.”
The department is looking at some serious dollars in replacing Neko. Not just in the purchase of the dog, but in the training of both the dog and its handler.
“The dog costs about $7,000 and it costs another $5,000 to pay for the schooling for the handler,” McMillen said. “So you are looking at about $12,000 by the time you buy the dog and pay for the academy and schooling and everything. So, I’ll have to see where I’m at this year in my budget and see whether or not there is any money left over. If there is, I will seriously consider moving forward with replacing Neko.”