Dollars for dogs: Marion police want more K9s

MARION – For about a year, the Marion Police Department has been a one-dog unit.

With the help from the public, police officials hope to add a pair of canine coworkers to take some of the load off their Dutch shepherd.

Police Chief Bill Collins is planning to add one new dog at the department to work with street-level officers. A second dog will be assigned to the MARMET Drug Task Force and work solely to seize drugs.

Those additions only will come with community support, however. The department is seeking about $28,000 to pay for the new canines and their training.

Collins is confident the support will be there, noting "gracious" efforts in prior fundraisers from local businesses and donors.

In 2013, the department raised enough money to bring in Six, a then-2-year-old K9 unit cross-trained to track suspects, detect drugs, search buildings and automobiles, and subdue fleeing or aggressive suspects.

The department's plans to triple their dogs on the force is off to a strong start after StreetWise Motors general manager Eric Barcus donated $1,000 to help protect officers.

"We think it's important," Barcus said. "We know the situation the town is in with the drugs. It's a little bit of something we can help with that."

He challenged other local businesses to give to the cause, but those looking to donate will have to make a choice: give to the police's street unit or the county's drug task force. MARMET Lt. Chris Adkins, said competing against his fellow officers for thousands in donations is a challenge.

"We're a countywide drug task force," he said. "Those business that are willing to donate can be in the county because you're going to get as much use from that dog."

Adkins said they are looking to collect less money — $13,000 for a MARMET K9 unit compared to $15,000 for the multipurpose unit — because their dog will only be used to track drugs, requiring less cross-training.

"It's a very essential tool," he said. "Their noses and their training help you get around some of the search warrants that help you get into cars and houses. They help you find hiding places in cars you would never think of."

The drug task force used a K9 provided by the Marion County Sheriff's Office until December, when K9 unit handler Lt. Christy Utley was promoted.

Chief Deputy Al Hayden said the county's dogs are available if needed, but they work alternating night shifts. He said the sheriff's office "certainly would be in favor of" a full-time K9 unit for MARMET.

Adkins said the task force is self-sufficient, paying for drugs, cars, equipment and utilities with "money we confiscate in drug raids and is forfeited to us."

"It's very costly to have a dog," he said. "But in one traffic stop, we've had people who have left Marion County and been stopped up north with several thousands dollars on them that's been confiscated as drug proceeds. All it takes is one good stop using that dog and it can pay for itself."

MARMET works as one of several drug task forces under the METRICH Enforcement Unit, which makes up 10 counties in north central Ohio.

Chief Kenneth Coontz, METRICH project director and chief of the Mansfield Police Department, said the Marion task force would be the only one in METRICH to have a dog specifically dedicated to drug enforcement.

"It never hurts," he said. "It's never a bad idea."

nbechtel@marionstar.com

740-375-5155

Twitter: @NickMStar

How to help

For information on how to donate, call the Marion Police Department at 740-387-2525 or the MARMET Drug Task Force at 740-387-2222.