Moses Lake Police Running GoFundMe Campaign for K9

The Moses Lake Police Department is starting a GoFundMe campaign as they hope to begin a patrol K9 program.  The department says a K9 would be a great benefit to the community noting it has been said that when it comes to finding and chasing suspects, a dog/handler team is as effective as 10 patrol officers and can cover the same amount of ground in a fraction of the time. This would truly be a force multiplier in reducing crime in the area. The money raised will be used for the purchase and training of a K9 dog and training for the handler. In addition, funds are needed to purchase and outfit a patrol car with specialized equipment for the comfort and safety of the K9. The estimate for the overall cost of putting one dog on the street to be about $90,000 the first year, and approximately $2,500 each subsequent year. The agency is applying for grants, and exploring other methods of paying for the program, but are asking for the public's help as well. They hope to have the dog and handler trained, necessary equipment purchased, and have the dog on patrol by the second quarter of 2019. If funding the project is unsuccessful, donations will be returned or re-purposed for law enforcement purposes.