Haverford Police Welcome K9 Cop Nitro to the Force

To combat rising crime in the township, the Haverford Police force has added a K9 unit to the force, the Main Line Times is reporting.

Nitro, a year-old German Shepherd/Belgian Malinois mix will work with 18-year veteran officer Mark Semerad. The K9 is trained to assist police in drug detection as well as day-to-day patrol work.

Haverford Police chief Carmen Pettine told the paper that the use of police dogs is becoming increasingly prevalent.

“K9s are one of the fastest growing tools for police...A well-planned K9 program can...save manpower and provide a safer environment for officers to operate in, thereby providing a safer community,” Pettine said.

The dog was purchase for $16,000 and is the first of four K9s the township expects to add to its police force before the end of 2013.

Read the full story here.