Mansfield Police K9 Unit
I have been seeing facebook posts from the Mansfield Police Department about starting a K9 unit. It seems like a good addition to the community. What do you guys think?
https://www.gofundme.com/MansfieldPoliceK9
GreenerPastures Financially, what is the cost difference between having your own and simply borrowing Mt Olive resources? Either way, what's going on that the town can't afford the resource and needs private funding for it?
Personally I think the best use of time and effort is to clean up town government so the PD has what ever it needs without have to ask the public.
GC That seems strange that they need to start a gofundme in order to start a k9 unit....
melissa Isn't something like this covered in our property taxes? They didn't have trouble "borrowing " from one of the other police units, before. If they need a gofundme page, our town can't afford it.
sparksjbc1964 When the first posting about this appeared on Facebook I commented as to why the PD was soliciting funding from the public for what should be a budgeted township expense. My comment/question was deleted within a few hours, presumably by the owner of the page (Mansfield PD).
I am not opposed to a K-9 unit...what I question is this backhanded way of funding the start-up of what should be part of the operating budget. Going forward, will this be part of the municipal budget, as it should be? Or will we be asked every year to "make donations" to support what should be a township expense? Has the subject ever been raised before as part of a budgetary wish list by the Police Chief, and if so, was it turned down?
To repeat, I think the idea of a K-9 unit is a good idea, but I question the utilization of a public fund raising campaign for this. If we need it, then it should be a budgeted item. The Police Department is NOT a volunteer organization, like FD or EMS.
JerryG You're right JerryG, that gofundme page could cost more in auditing fees than they may actually raise. They have to deduct whatever they raise off the property taxes. There's never an accountant when you need one.
skippy With all the other departments from other towns close by.....why not consolidate services !??
Dogs , training, vet bills .....all ongoing expenses, will only escalate every year.
Is there really a need ?
Steven 
Washington Township (Morris ) started a K9 unit a several years ago. Once the Police Officer that handled "Kobe" was injured in an arrest ITHINK the unit was disbanded (circa 2012).
Where is Kobe today, anyone know?
OnTheEdge 
Awesome resource to have a dog on the force. Just tried to donate and the gofundme page got stuck here (3 times) for a loooong time. --> Anyone else have this issue?
Will try again. Some days I'd like to donate a dog.
Rebecka The police officer that has the dog as a partner has the option of keeping the dog. Which I think that officer did. Then of course all the vet care and of course the food becomes that the responsibility of the officer.
cc Rebecka - The names of the officers to contact are at the bottom of the page. If you donate directly instead of through gofundme, way more gets to the cause.
Although I'm all for canine officers, I don't get the Gofundme either. Honestly, I don't get Gofundme the majority of the time. It seems to me that anytime anyone even stubs their pinky toe a Gofundme page is started.
Calico696 If I were in Mansfield I'm not sure i would support this initiative. Before even getting to the costs, I'd be interested to know what the public safety justification is. Seems to me K9's are limited use to begin with and I'd be interested in the types and quantity of crimes that would be targeted.
justintime @GC - yes, I poked around gofundme and saw they charge 7.9%. We'll be sending a check instead for sure!
If the Mansfield PD wants a police dog, the Mansfield resident should immediately fire the police chief for incompetence. It simply doesn't make any sense. It can cost tens of thousands of dollars for a properly trained police dog and to properly train the handler(s), plus all of the money for continuing upkeep, care, and training. And at any time, the dog could have a heart attack and drop dead, or develop a serious disease, or shatter a leg, while the handler might just quit the police department at any time. And while a dog could occasionally be beneficial, it's simply not worth it, when one performs a cost-benefit analysis.
For less money than the cost of a dog, the department could purchase a decent-quality aerial camera-drone and control system. With it, they could conduct aerial searches for missing persons or criminal suspects, conduct discreet surveillance of suspicious areas or persons, and provide tactical intelligence in the event of a major event (such as a raging fire or a school shooting). Ultimately, it would be far more cost-effective than a dog. And even if they have already such a drone, purchasing additional drones and/or training additional operators and/or upgrading to better-quality drones would still be more beneficial, overall.
JerseyWolf JerryG there are plenty of circumstances or programs that are driven through fundraising that are managed by municipalities, schools, etc. Fundraising for this unit obviously is a way to give folks who want to support the program the opportunity to help get it started. I think the fact that they are trying to find alternative ways to fund these things is refreshing instead of just tacking on more costs. Obviously those who feel strongly about it can support it, and those who don't, can choose not to. It seems like it's just one more thing for some people to be critical of these guys for, when they're trying to bring in a resource to help make things better. Good luck Mansfield PD and thank you for all that you do! Can't wait to see the new dog here.
JBiller 
Kobe, Aron (pronounced A-ron), Arek, and Storm are all Washington Township K-9s since 2012 in a force supported by donations. Six dogs and four handlers so far and think they are running two dogs simultaneously now.
Kobe sniffed out a lot of drugs in his first year.
What can I say, I would not like to strap the taxpayers with future payments but Washington has made it work. They do have one sugar daddy, but hey, it works.
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/warren-county/express-times/index.ssf/2015/03/officials_recognize_generous_d.html
strangerdanger @strangerdanger: that's the Washington Township of Warren county. In any case, there are local police K9 unit experiences that can show what works and doesn't.
I hope these officers know how to care for these dogs. too many stories about handlers (who often become a full time police 24/7 partner) who leave their dogs/partners locked in cars and the dogs die of heat exhaustion or freezing.
animal ownership of any kind comes with a long term care and responsibility. I hope these officers will not fall into the category of the others who have mistreated, beaten and irresponsibly cared for their fur partners.
sue13All K9 Police vehicles are fully equipped with temperature monitoring systems which automatically regulates the temperature by turning the car on and providing heat/air conditioning as needed.
Dan JerseyWolf, I really hope you never have anyone go missing or have a crime in which an immediate response from a dog would aid the police. A drone? Are you serious?
Dan, maybe they are, but other K9 forces either don't use it or something else.. several dogs died this year due to their human partner's negligence. I'm just saying the human partner should be held to the same standards re: animal care and not excused should there be any form of mistreatment
Sue54, can you be more specific regarding the deaths of these K9's? I know many K9 officers, and I have never - ever heard of the k9 being neglected. If anything, they are the lifeline of the officer they are partnered with. Just as if there was a human partner, the k9 is the family of the officer they tour with. Maybe you have this wrong?
partyplanning Partyplanning, here are some stories for you:
http://www.walb.com/story/29599648/ssu-k-9-dies-in-handlers-hot-car
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/police-k9-death-sparks-outrage/nSMjc/
Peggy One death is too many, but these were two in a span of three years. I think, if anything, it was exaggerated a bit in the post, but that may be just how I read Sue's post.
I know someone on here asked why a K9 in Mansfield when we have them in other areas of the County - well, in some instances, time IS of the essence; and yet another asked for the Chief to be fired for getting one? Really? Dramatics on here? I think so.
For the record, a drone cannot take down a perpetrator, nor can it sniff out drugs. There are different types of k9 trained police personnel, and granted, not all are crossed trained, but all in all, they will do a much better job than a robot for goodness sake. Unless the suspect is barricaded, a drone will do nothing for you. Just my opinion of course.
Might be mistaken so don't crucify me but isn't Mansfield PD the one who wrote off a large number of cars in the last few years. I seem to remember something about the Durango's crashing or giving up transmissions at an alarming rate and them having to beg for money.
Also the state barracks are just up the road, can't they call on canine assistance from them or does that barracks not have a dog?
youngen The easy thing to do is list some of the possible uses a police dept has for a K-9 unit. How many crimes per year can the dog assist with?
Is this a dog that tracks?
One that sniffs drugs?
A protection dog for serving warrants?
Even if we assume one dog can do all of those things, it just doesn't seem worth it. If this were a budgeted expense id still have a problem with it, but a gofundme? This seems more like a case of the department wanting their version of a firehouse Dalmatian.
I'm sick
If you people have any questions mabe you should look for answers right from the PD. As a Mansfield resident myself, i and most all people i talk to about it are %100 behind getting the,K9. it will be an asset for the town and the PD along with the surrounding towns.
@Imsick, what would you say if you found out it wouldnt cost the taxpayers 1cent? Would you still be against it? What if you found out the town is spending 1000's of $$$ to buy a old church that will have no use to the town. Would you be against that?
If it is needed then it should be a budgeted item. I fear the initial acquisition being through gofundme will be replaced next year with a "well now we have the dog, so we have to support it with taxpayer dollars." Seems almost like a sneaky way to get what the PD wants.
"Look what followed me home Mom and Dad (Township Committee), can we keep it?"
Why wasn't an ongoing expense like this proposed by the police chief as part of the budgeting process?
As far as the comment by Dadof3 about asking the PD directly for answers, I asked the same questions when the Mansfield PD first spoke about it on their Facebook page. Instead of receiving an answer, my question was deleted by the PD.
https://www.cleat.org/2015/12/organization-provides-trained-k9s-at-no-cost-for-police/
Organization provides trained K9’s at no cost for police
http://k9wdi.com/law-enforcement-k9-police-dogs/police-k9-grants-k9-leap-grant.html
there are also grants available
the big cost is in OT when the dog is utilized off tour and upkeep of the officer / partner
http://pawderosaranch.com/the-cost-of-raising-a-k9/
here is an Idea of the costs without handler overtime
$2K-$3k for the initial training
$3k-$6k added salary compensation
$5k-$10K+ to outfit a new car with the cage
$1k-$2k for food, treats, bedding, kennel per year
$1k-$2k for vet bills
$1k-$2k for annual certification
$1k-$2k for training aids: narcotics or explosives
it is a 20K on-boarding process
Dadof3, I can't speak for "the old church" as I have no idea what's going on with it. I can say however that if the town is actively pursuing to maintain its own history and heritage by buying and preserving historical sites, then yes, I'm ok with that.
More to the topic, if I found out the dog didn't cost the taxpayers one cent, id still be against it. The whole idea of a public gofundme page not only screams "incompetent budgeting!", it sets a bad precedent and looks downright desperate. Hey, PD, Guess what? You've already been "funded" by the public!
Just the mention of this should pi$$ off any resident who pays taxes for stuff like this. If you want a puppy, be a big boy and manage your money.
Oh, and +1 to skippy.
Only $345 dollars raised in 17 days. I guess the township residents are not buying into this. I agree this should have been budgeted by the Police as that is the right way to do it.
kb2755 Thanks I'm all for k9 officers believe me but I am a stern advocate for fiscal responsibility - this officer and handler will need 20 - 30 k of ongoing budget to be viable
Funny lady So much bitterness over a topic the town does not even want you to contribute to because they know it will cause angst. So they go private on this and it still causes angst. I know you will all say well down the road this will cost me money. Well so will all the people living off your dime in the grade school, in the middle school, in the high school and every recreation program known to man kind. Wake up. It all costs all of us money. No matter who you vote for.
CraftBeerBob What's next, police officers standing at the traffic lights on weekends, doing a boot drive for gas money? Bake sales for bullets?
This is a professional department with a budget. If they can't live within their operating budget and still plan for new programs then someone is doing something wrong.
I'm not opposed to a K-9 program, but what I object to is the sneaky way the PD is trying to finance it...and the way the PD just deleted my original question on their Facebook page what I asked about it. There's zero transparency and accountability if that's how the Department deals with questions.
CCB, so just approve everything? No limits? Doesn't sound like a real good plan to me....
FYI if anyone else wants to donate directly and avoid gofundme fees, check should be made payable to Mansfield Township and simply indicate K-9 program in memo section. Funds will be appropriately appropriated. :-)
A Lehigh Valley Live article:
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/warren-county/index.ssf/2015/12/mansfield_police_fetching_fund.html#incart_river_index
Vic According to the article the K9 unit will offset costs by confiscating drug money. Sounds like they counting on it for guaranteed income?
War on drugs=perpetual work. A problem that will never be solved but that can be used to collect funds. How sad and twisted things have become.
Baci's mom Commenting is no longer available.