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Fairfield Police Chief Gary MacNamera will command another officer by next summer. Best of all, this one is willing to work for kibble. The Police Commission voted unanimously Wednesday night to add a K-9 unit to Fairfield's force.
"There's a lot of financial support for it," MacNamera said. "I think it's time we have a K-9 on the streets of Fairfield." A special committee will assign the police dog to a handler already on the force, and the animal will accompany the officer during his or her normal shifts. But the dog could also handle special tasks, such as missing person searches, drug investigations and bomb scares.
But MacNamera said the new hire would become part of the community. The dog will be used for public relations, visiting schools for special demonstrations and taking part in parades. And, as Norwalk K-9 commander Andre Velez pointed out, having an animal on the force creates a deterrent.
"There's something about a dog that creates a lot of fear in people," Velez said. "Not that we want to instill fear, but if it works to keep the public and the officers safe, we'll take it any day."
Fairfield police currently can use police dogs from around the area through a mutual-aid agreement with other departments. According to MacNamera, Fairfield needed that help three times in the last week. But as he told the commissioners, his crew often waits hours for other towns to send a dog.
Fairfield originally put down the K-9 program because of costs for the dog's care and overtime for the handler, who takes the dog home and is compensated for time spent caring for the animal. But the Fairfield police hope to have enough private donations to purchase the dog, pay for initial training and cover its care for at least five years. And MacNamera was confident that as the community accepts the dog, the donations would keep coming.
"We already have in hand a large commitment," he said. "And we didn't even have a program yet."
What do you think about adding a K-9 unit to the Fairfield police? Any ideas for a name? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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