Fiscal Note
The City is responsible for funding the maintenance and fuel for the K9 vehicles, some ongoing training expenses, and routine office and work supply costs. Funding is included in the Police Department's 2006 Operating Budget and 2007 Executive Operating Budget. No additional appropriation is required.
Title
Approving City acceptance and expenditure of funds raised by "Capital K9's" to continue to equip and train a canine unit for the Police Department.
Body
PREAMBLE
Prior to 2005, the Madison Police Department had never had an organized, formal canine program/unit. Starting in the late 1980's, a handful of officers were approved to use trained canines on duty, primarily for narcotics detection. In the early to mid-1990's, several MPD officers assigned to the Dane County Narcotics and Gang Task Force were trained as canine handlers. The dogs they worked with were trained only in narcotics detection, and were not trained in patrol-related functions.
In 1997 a sub-group of the Officer Advisory Committee (OAC) conducted an extensive study into the need for, feasibility of, and potential cost of implementing an MPD patrol canine unit. The committee concluded that there was a strong need for the department to have a patrol canine unit. The committee's research indicated that a patrol canine unit would increase departmental efficiency, while enhancing the safety of both officers and the community. The committee presented its findings to the management team, and start-up costs for a patrol canine unit were sought through the city budget process as a supplemental budget request for 1998. The request was not approved.
In 1998, an MPD officer was selected as the next dog handler assigned to the Dane County Narcotics and Gang Task Force. The new dog - Arno, a Dutch Shepard - was a dual-purpose dog (trained in both narcotics detection and patrol functions, such as building searches and tracking), the first MPD canine fully trained in p...
Click here for full text