Retired K-9 officers visit South Bend students
A few K-9 officers within the South Bend Police Department were on a retirement tour on Thursday, and visited a group of South Bend school kids.
During their careers they’ve tracked shooting suspects, helped in the apprehension of robbery suspects, and sniffed out drugs.
They’re trained to detect a number of things associating certain scents with rewards, and are creatures of habit according to their partners.
“They are creatures of habit. The habit is turning on our radio, the lights, putting on our uniforms, things such as that. These dogs cue into that and it’s difficult for them to retire. We all have a family and kids and they will have a good life at home,” said Lt. Steve Noonan, K9 supervisor.
READ ENTIRE ARTICLE/VIDEO HERE
Payne County Sheriffs Office hopes to add K9 unit
The Payne County Sheriff’s Office began taking donations this week to purchase a police dog, Sheriff R.B. Hauf said.
He hopes to add the K9 unit as soon as funds are available, he said.
“We don’t have a set date. It just depends on how the donations go,” he said.
Hauf said estimated costs of a K9 officer and equipment are from $11,000 to $20,000.
A K9 unit is not new to the department, which has had canine officers for years. The last dog was killed in a September 2009 accident. Hauf said Deputy Paul Fox, the handler, did not want to replace the dog at the time.
Without a K9 unit, the sheriff’s office has had to rely on the K9 units of the Stillwater and Cushing police departments. Fox said this adds extra work on the assisting agency and officer as well as other time constraints.
READ ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE
New detective, new K9 unit for Blue Springs
April showers will bring forth significant growth for the Blue Springs Police Department.
All joking aside, it isn’t rain that will be responsible for the new detective or K9 unit that will be in place in May and early summer, respectively, but a combination of citizen input and budget priorities.
Needless to say, police personnel from the chief down are looking forward to it.
“With a new detective, we’re hoping that the case load for the detectives we do have decreases a bit,” Chief Wayne McCoy said. “The additional detective will help us relieve heavy case loads.”
The arrival of a new detective in May (a position to be filled in-house) marks the first time in years that such a new position has been created. What’s more, whoever fills the position will see his or her vacated position filled by yet another officer later this year.
READ ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE
Car Dealership donates a car to K-9 police dog program
The Monroe Rotary Club’s effort to fund the Monroe Police Department’s K-9 program got a big boost last week, with the announcement that Speedway Chevrolet will donate a car.
”It will probably be a late model Impala,” said Tod Johnson, who with Ken Wheadon of Speedway Chevrolet decided to donate the car. “That’s they type of car they are looking for, that they can easily convert to K-9 use.”
The car will be will be outfitted with a cage in the back, rifle mounts, special temperature controls for the safety of the animals and more.
The Monroe Rotary Club has undertaken a fundraising effort called the K-9 Crusade underway to help restore the city’s police dog program to fully-staffed.
In 2008, the department had four police dogs, including two narcotics dogs and two trackers. One tracking dog, Biz, died recently. And both narcotics dogs are slated to retire.
Replacing the animals is very expensive, not only because the dogs themselves are costly, but because officer training is time consuming, and because the equipment and cars associated with the program are expensive.
The Rotary Club set a fundraising goal of $150,000 for the program. But with the donation of the car, that goal can be reduced.
Before the car can be donated, the club will have to raise the funds to outfit it, though.
READ ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE
Antioch karate studio to raise money for new police dog
Dogs are known as man’s best friend, but to a police officer they are more than that — they’re a partner.
In Antioch, where budget cuts have eliminated all but the most basic of expenses, the police department recently lost two K-9 officers, one because of old age and the other because the dog’s handler completed his commitment and is looking to transfer to another department. A karate studio is planning a fundraiser to help an officer get a new four-legged partner.
“I like the saying, ‘It takes a village to get a dog,’ ” said Jade Greene, business manager for the American Shaolin Kenpo studio on Lone Tree Way.
As part of its grand opening Saturday, the studio will hold a silent auction and raffle, with all proceeds going toward purchasing a new police dog.
Antioch officials project $33.7 million in revenue for the 2010-11 fiscal year — about $10.5 million less than the city took in three years ago.
READ ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE
Carlsbad K9 officer gets protective vest
One Carlsbad Police Department officer is safer, thanks to a new bulletproof vest designed for her four-legged build.
The Downtown Lions Club in the southern New Mexico city spent more than $800 for the vest for police dog Aresta.
The club presented it Tuesday to the K-9 officer, who gave a bark of gratitude after a prompt from her partner, police Cpl. David Whitzel.
Carlsbad residents and businesses donated money in 2006 to purchase police dogs.
READ ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE
Washington County Sheriff’s Office agency and deputy honored for DUII enforcement efforts
After arresting more than 1,200 impaired drivers in 2009, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and one of its deputies were awarded over the weekend for cracking down on motorists driving under the influence.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office was awarded as the state’s 2009 sheriff’s office “DUII Enforcement Agency of the Year,” by the governor’s Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants Multi-Disciplinary Task Force, sheriff’s office spokesman Sgt. David Thompson said. Deputy Josh Wilson, who’s been with the sheriff’s office six years, was recognized as the “Drug Recognition Expert of the Year” for a sheriff’s office, Thompson said. The award ceremony was held at the Riverhouse Inn in Bend, Thompson said, as part of the annual DUII Multi-Disciplinary Impaired Driving Training Conference.
Each year, the governor’s task force names the top sheriff’s office, police department, and state police office for DUII enforcement, Thompson said.The award, Thompson said, is based on the agency’s number of DUII arrests, participation in DUII enforcement grants, training, and public education efforts, among other criteria.
READ ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE
Local law enforcement officers to mark Police Memorial Week
The Southern Tier Law Enforcement Memorial Association is starting its annual Police Memorial Week the first week of May with a series of events.
The week begins at 10 a.m. May 3 with a non-denominational memorial church service at St. Patrick’s Church, 300 Main St., Owego. Police officers from departments that had an officer die in the line of duty will light a candle in their memory during the ceremony. At 10:45 a.m., marked police vehicles will process to Draper Park at Front and Court streets for an 11 a.m. memorial and flag-raising ceremony that includes a roll call of fallen officers. The guest speaker will be state police Maj. Kevin Molina.
READ ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE
Traverse City Police Acquire New K-9
The Traverse City Police Department has a new K-9 on duty.
Police Captain Steve Morgan said their new dog, Zuk, was purchased from a breeding company in Poland. Zuk was trained for narcotics detection and search and rescue.
Zuk’s Handler, Officer Kurt Bazner, has been training Zuk since February.
“We are partners just like any other partners, but Zuk is a dog…we have a great relationship,” Bazner said.
It cost $10,000 to purchase Zuk. The Police Department’s long time partner, The Oleson Foundation, picked up the cost.
READ ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE
Johnson County Sheriff’s deputy uniforms get a new look
Johnson County Sheriff deputies are getting a new look.
As of today, deputies will wear black uniforms instead of the French blue ones that they have worn for as far back as anyone can remember.
The change comes after a more-than-a-year-long study where the uniforms were put through tests in different environments on different people.
The change is expected create about $70,000 in savings per year.
Share this Blog
