Our Police Dog, Officer Olin got his badge (K9 1) Tuesday night at the City of Lakeport City Council meeting, after he and Sergeant Welter graduated from the K9 Team program. Olin is trained in patrol and suspect apprehensions and to detect Methamphetamine, Cocaine, Heroin and Fentanyl.
The Lakeport Police Department (LPD) implemented the canine program in 2021 with Police K-9 Olin officially serving the Lakeport community along with his then handler, Officer Kaylene Strugnell. The department had been without a police dog since 2009.
Planning began in the fall of 2018 when the LPD presented the Lakeport City Council with a request to apply for United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) community facilities grant funding to start the K9 Unit. The City Council supported and authorized the request. The city received a grant of approximately $38,000 to be used in combination with other private and public funding to establish the program, which includes a state-of-the art patrol vehicle with built-in protection for the dog.
The LPD had approximately $40,000 in other law enforcement grant and asset forfeiture funds reserved for the program. Additional funding and a nonprofit partner were needed to build and sustain the program.
In April 2019, the LPD submitted a proposal to the Sean M. Walsh K-9 Memorial Foundation for funding to purchase the dog. The foundation, which has served communities nationwide since 2012, awarded a grant in the amount of $10,000 to purchase the dog.
In December 2020, the Lucerne Area Revitalization Association (LARA) offered to serve as the nonprofit partner and donated the startup funds for the Lakeport Police K-9 account. After this account was created, two local citizens donated $4,000 and $5,000, respectively, for the program. Local businesses have made significant contributions for program infrastructure.
A significant partner is Bruno’s Shop Smart and their parent company, C&K Markets, who make donations based on customers signing up and connecting their club cards to the LPD canine program. This program does not cost the customer; C&K Markets makes a donation from every purchase made by the customer.
Community support will be important to maintain this program which has an estimated annual cost of $15,000. Contributions may be provided by making donations to the Lakeport Police K-9 nonprofit through Lucerne Area Revitalization Association and by participating in the Bruno’s Shop Smart program.
For more information, contact Chief Rasmussen or Lieutenant Dale Stoebe at the Lakeport Police Department, 707-263-5491, or by email, info@lakeportpolice.org.
Learn about Sean’s K-9s at www.seansk9s.org.