......... 4 Legged Officers - K9 Police Officers need vests
loyal and dedicated public servants ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4 Legged Law Enforcement - K9 Police Officers need vests loyal and dedicated public servants
The duties of a K9 Police Officer team depend on the type of police dog with which the officer is paired. He is first and foremost an officer whose task is to ensure the safety of the community. If the officer is paired with a public order enforcement dog, then he will act as a regular police officer and use his dog to pursue and detain suspects.
This can be dangerous work, and can place the dog in immanent danger (frequently instead of a human being). Officers wear vests for protection, but their K9 partners are often unprotected.
We love animals at LACP, and have found a charity .. at http://www.vestnpdp.com .. which caters to the need to provide vests for dogs who perform pursuit duties. We're delighted to focus on this need, and draw your attention to the important contribution that's made by our country's 4 legged legged law enforcement police officers.
In the Spring of 2002, I was watching an episode of America's Most Wanted and witnessed a video of a K-9 officer pursuing an armed criminal. The dog was shot, fell to the ground, got back up, and knocked the criminal down as the dog's police handler arrived at the scene. Shortly thereafter, the dog collapsed at the feet of his handler and died.
I was shocked. I had recently lost my own two beloved German shepherds to cancer, and I could feel the officer's pain at losing his four-legged partner. I couldn't believe that the police dog had no protection despite the dangerousness of the situation. I knew he would have survived if he had been wearing a protective vest.
The next day, I called my local police department and asked if they had vests for their police dogs. They said they had no funds to purchase vests for their dogs. I immediately set about raising money to purchase vests for their three K-9 officers. A few months later they added two more dogs, and I was able to get all five dogs vested.
This was the beginning of my passion and my crusade for police-dog protection. I founded Vest 'N P.D.P., Inc., with the goal of providing protective vests for as many K-9 police officers as possible nation wide. So far, Vest 'N P.D.P. has protected 468 Police dogs in 39 states. But the need is still great, and our work continues, thanks to so many wonderful supporters.
Recently LA Community Policing has been featuring a video presentation (also on our home page) which was originally a segment of "Rescue 911" which illustrates the need to provide vests for K9 Police Officers:
At the Los Angeles Police Department the K-9 Unit is organized in the same division as that which includes SWAT and the Mounted Unit:
Mission Statement
To support Department field and detective operations in the search of outstanding felony suspects, misdemeanor suspects armed with a firearm, lost and missing persons, and evidence.
Function
K-9 teams respond to assist field and detective operations on a city-wide basis, seven days a week, 24 hours a day. K-9 teams also assist with emergency calls for service including "officer needs help", "assistance" or "back-up" calls.
Organization
The K-9 Platoon is one of the field platoons of Metropolitan Division, and as such is deployed at the direction of the Commanding Officer, Metropolitan Division. The K-9 Platoon is supervised by a Lieutenant Officer-In-Charge, five K-9 Sergeants, a K-9 Chief Trainer, and 16 Police Officers as K9 handlers.
K-9 Platoon History
In November of 1979, two Los Angeles Police Department officers recognized an urgent need for specialized canine work in the City of Los Angeles. With fewer officers doing more work, personnel hours and money were being consumed by extensive searches for dangerous felony suspects who had concealed themselves. All too often these searches resulted in the suspects not being located. Community safety mandated that diligent efforts be made to locate these dangerous criminals. In April 1980, approval was given to train two search dogs for a pilot program within the West Bureau of the Police Department. The achievements of these two dogs were so astounding that, after two months, the one-year trial program was declared a total success. During its two decade-plus years of operation, an increasing demand for the unique services provided by the K-9 Platoon has allowed it to gradually grow until the entire City now has rapid access to search dogs on a twenty-four hour basis.
