Calif. department will add K-9 with help of grant

By Calvin Men
Santa Cruz Sentinel

SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif. — A K-9 is on the horizon for the Scotts Valley Police Department after the City Council unanimously approved a motion to fund it Wednesday night.

Scotts Valley police and UC Santa Cruz police are the only agencies within the county without a K-9. While Scotts Valley police can reach out to other agencies to enlist their K-9s, sometimes officers have to wait or the units are unavailable. The last K-9 in Scotts Valley was retired in 1972, Weiss said.

According to a memorandum to councilmembers, the cost to start the K-9 unit is $24,306, with $4,480 in annual maintenance costs. The dog would not replace an officer but work alongside a current member of the police department to be selected in the future, Weiss said. The officer in charge of the dog would receive a 5 percent pay increase, according to the memorandum.

Full Story : City Council approves K-9 for Scotts Valley Police Department