POLAND TOWNSHIP Police seek funds to add a canine unit to force

Fund-raising efforts will be ongoing.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
POLAND -- Township police are hoping to add a new four-legged officer to the department, but that will not come to fruition without substantial financial backing from the community.
Police Chief Carl Massullo said officials have been working for the past year to bring a canine unit to the department. Massullo said the department would like to purchase and train one dog as soon as possible as an added tool in the department. He said the dog would have been useful in solving some recent crimes.
"Experience has shown that a properly trained police canine program can be a valuable and beneficial asset to a police department and the community in general," he said. "What really triggered my interest in getting this program started was the string of burglaries we experienced last year. It is my opinion that a police dog would have increased our chances of apprehending a suspect."
The department has borrowed canine units from neighboring departments, but Massullo said valuable time can be lost waiting for the borrowed dogs to arrive. He also said the crime scene can become contaminated during the waiting period.
Estimating cost
Township officials have estimated the start-up cost for a canine unit, including buying and training the dog, training an officer to handle it and preparing one of the cruisers, at about $17,500. Trustee Annette DiVito said the entire amount to start the unit will have to come from community donations.
DiVito said there is enough money available in the township's general fund to start the unit, but trustees want to use that money for recreational things such as development of 60 acres of land being leased from BFI and walking trails. DiVito also said the police department budget already exceeds the money generated by the police levy and uses some general fund money for operating costs.
There is no set date to purchase the dog or get the unit under way -- that will depend on how soon the funds can be raised. DiVito said the campaign will continue until enough money has been raised.
"It would be nice to raise the money in a couple of months, but I don't know how willing people will be to give. Hopefully it will take no longer than six months," she said.
DiVito said the township will pick up the operational cost of maintaining the unit after it has been started, but that is expected to be minimal.
A fund-raising event is set for 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 12 at the Poland Giant Eagle on Center Road. Anyone who would like to donate should contact Massullo or Lucinda Dietz at (330) 757-8033.
jgoodwin@vindy.com