NORTH SALT LAKE — The North Salt Lake Police Department is looking to help their newest four-legged teammate get ready for patrol.
The city council recently approved the addition of a K9 unit to supplement the city’s patrol, as well as supplying the funding to hire a new officer and purchase some of the necessary equipment for the new unit
The police department has already raised the funds for the dog, but need some additional help for the equipment the animal will need out in the field.
“Our city council has been so supportive of this program,” said North Salt Lake Police Sgt. Mitch Gwilliam. “It’s phenomenal, but it tends to be fairly expensive.”
The unit will consist of one dog and Officer Jessie Whitear, who was promoted from within the department. The newly hired officer will take Whitear’s place on normal patrol.
The K9 unit will be dual purpose, which means that the dog will be trained both as a drug-sniffing dog and to do building searches. North Salt Lake has several warehouses and industrial buildings, especially throughout the city’s west side. According to Gwilliam, the police department gets a large number of open door alarm calls from business owners.
“A dog can search the building faster than even two or three police officers,” he said.
Gwilliam has firsthand knowledge of the speed a well-trained police dog can have. North Salt Lake has a history of K9 units, with the most recent being retired 12 years ago due to lack of funding. Gwilliam was the officer who participated in that unit.
“It was tremendous just having a partner you knew you could trust,” he said.
The new dog is named Elvis Von Den Woolfen, which translated means Elvis from the Woolfen. Woolfen is the name of Elvis’s sire.
For more information check out the Sept.20 edition of Davis Clipper.
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