Mount Pleasant Police Adding K9 Officer

The Mount Pleasant Police Department will add a new K9 officer in the next few weeks, Capt. Brian Smith confirmed.

K9 Officer Bones has been in service for almost six years and is nearing retirement so the time has come to add a new dog to the force. Smith said the typical career of a K9 officer is six to nine years, and retirement usually means becoming a treasured member of their human partner's family for the rest of their lives.

A private donation of $30,000 a number of years ago will enable MPPD to acquire a new dog without impacting the department's budget.

MPPD Chief Tim Zarzecki made a presentation at the village's May Finance/Legal/License committee meeting, and Trustee Sonny Havn confirmed the cost is not borne by the taxpayer.

"We've had money sitting in an account at Johnson Bank for a few years so that's where the funds will come from," he said. "I think it's important we keep a K9 officer."

Smith said the dog costs about $14,000, and the department uses a service in North Carolina to choose the animal - usually getting it from Germany - and to do some preliminary training with the dog.

The Mount Pleasant police officer who will be the dog's human partner and handler has not been chosen yet, but Smith said the call for applications will go out soon.

"We'll have officers apply, and then whomever is chosen will travel to North Carolina and stay there for six weeks to bond with the dog and get the training," he said.

Training continues even after the pair return home, Smith added. 

"Well, they get together with other K9 officers in the county to keep their skills sharp," Smith stated.

He also said the department values having a K9 officer.

"We feel like it's important to keep the K9 program in the department, that there's a lot of value in having a K9 officer," Smith said.