CAIRO- Grady County Sheriff Martin “Earl” Prince turned a routine fire drill at the Grady County Detention Center into an unprecedented safety and contraband sweep on Tuesday morning.

With assistance from the Georgia State Patrol and Motor Carrier Compliance, nine K9 teams were deployed throughout the facility for a comprehensive sweep.

In a coordinated effort, ten deputies, the Cairo Fire Department, and detention officers participated in the operation, conducting a full-scale search of the entire detention complex, including all vehicles on the premises.

According to Prince, this initiative marks the first contraband and safety search of this scale at the Grady County Detention Center in over 20 years.

The search revealed one piece of contraband, a needle.

Chief Deputy Kent Harvey said K9s alerted to a needle that clearly had residue left over.

“Needles are considered contraband and it is being investigated,” Harvey said. “It’s been sent to our lab for testing,” he said.

Prince and Harvey were both pleased with the results of the sweep.

“Ensuring the security of our detention center is a top priority,” Prince said. “This operation demonstrates our proactive approach in maintaining order and preventing contraband from entering our facility.”

Prince thanked the GSP K9 teams, Motor Carrier Compliance K9, Cairo Fire Department, deputies, and detention officers for making the operation a success.

He especially applauded the detention officers, who often go unrecognized, for their dedicated efforts in ensuring those entering the facility have no contraband or drugs still on their person.

Prince concluded by stating that the unannounced search reinforces the GCSO’s ongoing efforts to uphold the highest standards of security and safety at the Detention Center.