I pray you can help our agency by providing a ballistic vest for each of our 4 K-9s! We are just starting a K-9 Unit to work on the Crime Suppression Unit on I-16 (Macon to Savannah) to perform Drug Interdiction to remove dangerous drugs that we know are being transported on this Interstate, of which we have 30 miles.
The Handlers have been selected and will be attending K-9 Handler School and meeting their K-9s (pre-selected for them) on August 18 through September 12. We are not a large agency and have 25 Deputies. Four are being dedicated to the CSU K-9 Unit and are in need of ballistic vests for their K-9s. We just had an Officer Involved Shooting on I-16 a couple of weeks ago that resulted in a fatal shooting of the suspect, who ran from the Deputy, lost control and flipped and then shot at the Deputy as he approached the vehicle. I am working with the Capt. of the new K-9 Unit in trying to assist to gather items which we have an immediate need for. Ballistic vests to protect these vital assets are at the top of the list. If your organization can help with the 4 necessary requirements for ballistic vests, prior to them reporting for duty on September 13, that would be incredible! We will absolutely make an appreciation post on our Facebook page and invite you to follow our newest venture!The K-9s will be working on Interstate 16 and will have tons of opportunities to earn recognition as they find dangerous drugs and we will be prosecuting the suspects to the fullest extent of the law. Our Agency is very involved in traffic enforcement and have won many awards for those efforts through the Governor's Office of Highway Safety (GOHS). We are also heavily involved in provided education on Driving While Impaired or Distracted, Child and Adults Car Restraint Use, etc. and have a 39' trailer with driving simulators and a Hummer Golf Cart used with a cone course to demonstrate how only a small amount of alcohol or drugs and impair driving. These are used in conjunction with GOHS and we have won Network Coordinator of the Year and Network of the Year, along with other awards for our dedication to saving lives. The K-9 Unit has the same focus...to Save Lives. We in turn want to protect our K-9s by outfitting them with a ballistic vest.
Please feel free to contact me at 4782566266 to discuss our exciting K-9 program!
Lisa Smith
