This month we thank and honor Jackie Truelove
Our friend and colleague is a woman of many talents. From wife and mother, to photographer, K9 trainer, and dedicated law enforcement partner, Jackie brings a wealth of experience and passion to the Posse.
With nearly a decade of law enforcement experience and a heart for community service, Jackie is always willing to take on new challenges. And her latest endeavor may someday add another valuable resource to the Posse's search and rescue capabilities — a specially trained K9 partner.
Law enforcement has long been part of Jackie's life. Her husband, Kyle, serves as a Bates County Sheriff's Deputy and Mounted Patrol member. Jackie has spent much of her career in emergency dispatch, where she learned to remain calm under pressure, communicate effectively, and work as part of a team. She currently works in records for a local police department while continuing to serve as a reserve dispatcher.
Joining the Sheriff's Posse was a natural extension of that commitment. "Joining the Posse felt like another way I could support our local law enforcement and give back to the community we now call home," Jackie explained. "Serving means being willing to show up, help where you're needed and hopefully make a difference along the way."
As Posse Secretary, Jackie puts her organizational and communication skills to work. Her varied background in dispatch, records management, animal welfare, photography, and search and rescue brings BIG benefits to our organization.
One experience that reinforced her dedication was the Posse's response following the tragic plane crash in Butler. Jackie responded alongside fellow members to support the Sheriff's Office and community during an incredibly difficult time.
"Watching our members immediately come together, find where they were needed and help without hesitation made me incredibly proud," she recalled. "No one was looking for recognition; we were simply there because people needed us."
That experience reminded Jackie that even on someone's worst day, there are people willing to show up and help carry the weight.
Jackie's desire to expand her ability to help others led her to pursue a longtime dream — becoming a certified K9 search and rescue handler. Earlier this year, she joined MOSAR K9 (Missouri Search and Rescue K9), an organization that trains canine teams to locate missing persons and assist emergency responders.
Search and rescue dogs can specialize in live-find searches, locating missing individuals, or human remains detection, assisting with recovery operations. These specialized teams can be invaluable when searches involve difficult terrain or challenging circumstances.
Jackie began training with Mando, the family's German Shepherd, who comes from a long line of working police K9s. While Mando taught her plenty about search and rescue, she laughingly discovered his talents leaned more toward finding family members and conducting household security patrols!
Because SAR dogs typically require 18–24 months of training before certification, and Mando is approaching five years old, Jackie decided to retire him from training and begin again with a younger prospect.
Enter Obi, a three-month-old Golden Retriever, who has already begun learning live-find and area search fundamentals. Jackie hopes to eventually expand his training to include human remains detection. And her ultimate goal is to develop a certified K9 team that could serve as an additional search and rescue resource for the Bates County Sheriff's Posse and surrounding communities.
"I really hope to have him become a helpful tool for our Posse and really be able to give back to this community if we are called to do so," Jackie said.
She also hopes Obi might become a First Responder Therapy Dog, providing comfort and emotional support to emergency personnel who regularly encounter stressful and traumatic situations. It's an ambitious undertaking, but Jackie is enthusiastic about the journey.
"We have a LONG road of training ahead of us but I'm incredibly excited to see where this little golden guy takes me!"
Jackie and Kyle are raising four children, keeping busy with practices, games, tournaments, and family activities. When she finds spare time, Jackie enjoys riding horses, the outdoors, and cheering on Kansas City sports teams.
She also owns Hold the Line Photography, which began as a hobby in 2012 and became a business in 2020. Its name honors first responders, military personnel, and their families. As a special thank-you for their service, Jackie offers these families a 50% discount on photography sessions.
Jackie believes one of the Posse's greatest strengths is the variety of backgrounds and talents represented among its members. She encourages others to get involved, regardless of previous law enforcement experience.
"You don't have to come in knowing everything or have a law enforcement background to be an asset to the Posse," she said. "Everyone brings something different to the table and sometimes the skills you don't think are anything special are exactly what the team needs."
The Bates County Sheriff's Posse is proud to have dedicated members like Jackie Truelove, whose willingness to serve, learn, and develop new skills strengthens our organization and its mission of supporting law enforcement and serving Bates County.
And with a young Golden Retriever named Obi now beginning his search and rescue journey, the future holds exciting possibilities for Jackie, her K9 partner, the Posse and the community they serve.
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