LOUISVILLE, Ill. (AP) — A central Illinois sheriff's department has started a K-9 unit for the first time in 20 years due to fears of a heroin epidemic.

The Effingham Daily News reports (http://bit.ly/2nmcjGA ) that the Clay County Sheriff's Department recently launched the unit after Deputy Cory Heuerman and a 2-year-old Malinois (MAL'-ehn-wah) named Fallax received certifications.

The department said in a news release that the dog is the "office's proactive response to the fear of a heroin epidemic." The dog is trained in narcotic detection, apprehension and tracking. Fallax was trained at a northern Indiana kennel that has trained dogs for agencies like the Illinois State Police.

The dog and deputy started work March 11.

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Information from: Effingham Daily News, http://www.effinghamdailynews.com