Columbiana Police Department K-9

K-9 Program Takes Center Stage The Columbiana Police Department is kicking off a major fund raising effort designed to provide a service the community has asked for. Officers who handle calls for service have been asked why Columbiana does not have a K-9 unit to help keep drugs out of our City. Criminal suspects we have stopped in cars going through our town have told us they know we don't have a dog and can't search their cars. Without having a dog sniff and alert to user-level quantities of drugs or drugs that are hidden in places we can't see, police can't develop enough probable cause for a search. A K-9 is a real game-changer. A number of citizens and several community leaders have come to us to offer financial support so that we can purchase a police working dog and implement a K-9 program. We have already begun receiving donations, but we have a long way to go. Because of all this interest, Officer Bryan Granchie began approaching me with questions on how we could get a dog and start a program. Bryan's Dad is a retired police officer and was one of the first K-9 officers in the area back in the 1980's, so Bryan has a strong desire to continue that tradition. We discussed the issues and expenses surrounding a K-9 program and I began to ask Bryan questions about the various challenges we would face in implementing a program. He went out and did research and lined up support and donors. He brought me answers to the questions I was asking and finally - I ran out of questions! Bryan had convinced me that we could muster enough community support for this program. We are now trying to get it off the ground. Our initial goal is to completely fund the purchase of a dog and all the equipment necessary to have the best and most effective program possible. To do that, we need to raise about $60,000. We have a start, but there is a long way to go and we can't do it without your help. If you or someone you know wants to be a part of this, we urge you to support us as we try to make Columbiana inhospitable to criminals. We don't want them here! It is always easier to prevent crime and keep it out of a City than it is to fight to get it out once it is here. This new tool will help us do that and you can be an important partner in this effort. To donate (any amount is fine), simply write a check to the Columbiana Police Department and write "K-9 Program" on the memo line. The address here is: Columbiana Police Department, 28 South Vine Street, Columbiana, Ohio 44408. All donations will go into an account administered by the City Finance Department. The money can only be used for the K-9 program and will be audited and completely secure. All purchases made will be via Purchase Orders approved by the Chief of Police, the Finance Director and the City Manager. The fund activity will be completely transparent to anyone who wishes to see how the money is being used. I will brief the Mayor and City Council on our progress at every Council meeting. My personal pledge is to "Do the Right Thing, In the Right Way". NOW - a word about SCAMMERS. Scammers will undoubtedly read this and will see the articles in the paper and on TV. They will be trying to use our legitimate fundraising to steal from people who want to help us. We can't let that happen! The Columbiana Police Department WILL NOT be calling citizens on the phone or going door to door to collect money. DO NOT give anyone any money unless you are sure of who they are. Supporting this program is VOLUNTARY and should be fun and a source of community pride. If you know a City police officer, work with that officer. If you are unsure of whether someone is legitimate, please call me or come to the station and I will personally talk with you and make sure your donation gets to our finance director. Every person who donates will receive a letter from the Chief of Police and a Certificate of Appreciation for helping us reach our goal. Over the next few days, I will be sharing additional information with you about this program. Some of the topics I will discuss include: - Our HEAT program and how we "Bring the HEAT" to deter crime - Trafficking - Drugs, Human and Stolen Goods - K-9's and tracking - when time means life or death - Keeping our K-9 partner safe - technology that protects the dog - Intelligence gathering - How YOU can help in identifying criminal trends - The budget - complete breakdown of what it takes to start our program - Win prizes (DARE items, Challenge Coins and more) If you want to be a part of this exciting and worthwhile program, it's easy! Give me a call or talk directly to Officer Granchie about how to support the Columbiana Police Department K-9 Program. If you have never met Bryan or me - now is a great opportunity! Take a moment and get involved in a great project. - Chief Gladis