Pawnee Police Working To Raise Money For K9 Officer

A Green Country police department is hoping to add a K9 officer to its force.

Pawnee police are working right now to raise the money needed to buy one.

Officers' recent run-in with a suspect made the need for a K9 unit even clearer.

It was a hectic couple of minutes after Pawnee police officers went in to get a man they say had barricaded himself inside an ex-girlfriend's home on New Year’s Day.

Standby Pawnee Police Chief Wesley Clymer's body camera was rolling when it all began. But, it was knocked off quickly when Clymer says Joshua Jones came at him and tried to get his gun, breaking his holster in the process.

Clymer says it took three officers to finally subdue Jones.

But if they'd had a K9 to send in, the chief says the scenario would have been much different and safer for all involved.

“Essentially grabs hold of the suspect and helps bring him to the ground,” Chief Clymer explained.

The Pawnee Police Department has had a K9 officer in the past, but it's been about ten years. And with budgets getting smaller, finding the money to get a new K9 unit has gotten tougher.

A fully trained K9 is about $10,000, which the department has raised with the help of generous donors.

But they're still about $5,000 short of the other costs that come with a K9, so they've set up an online fundraising account to help.

“We do the best we can with what we have,” said Chief Clymer. “But, the dog is not in the budget.”

Clymer says a K9 officer will bring down more than just suspects. He says drugs or alcohol are involved every Pawnee criminal case, and putting a dog on the streets will help take the drugs off them.

“If we can help dwindle or combat the drug crime, which we've done fairly well here recently, I think we can do even better with a K9 unit,” Chief Clymer stated. 

To donate visit the departments GoFundMe: Pawnee Police K9