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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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