Budget cuts gotten so bad in East Haven that the town has been forced to eliminate their final police dog from the force. This issue has gotten so much attention that local officials issued a statement on Tuesday to shed more light on the decision.
"Daro," a German shepherd working with his handler/partner Officer Dave Cari, was the last canine working in East Haven, reports the New Haven Register. Deputy Chief John Mannion said the program was eliminated because, "“the chief just decided, upon reviewing the budget, that there wasn’t enough money to sustain the program."
East Haven's police union said it wasn't satisfied with that answer and said keeping Daro in service would cost the town just $3,500 a year.
“My concern is why it’s not being funded anymore,” Sgt. John Miller, police union president told the Register. “It’s a valuable tool. It’s been a proven success. ... It’s a valuable tool for police work these days.”
On Tuesday, Mayor April Capone Almon issued a statement giving another side to the issue.
“First I would like to say that I have always been not only a supporter of the K9 program but a true ‘dog person’ myself,” Almon said in a statement released on Tuesday. “I remember meeting Daro when he was a puppy in some of his first days on the force and feeling lucky to have him. Unfortunately, the situation has changed in ways that have less to do with our budget and more to do with factors beyond my control.”
The town has not had a K-9 program foe several months because of handler has been out of work, Almon said.
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"The K9 officer expressed concerns regarding his own health and safety in the program. There has yet to be verification of these concerns or methods with which to remedy them. The safety of all town employees is paramount in any situation," Almon said.
She also released a memo from Paul Hongo Jr., deputy director of town affairs, about the town's decision to suspend the program indefinitely.
The decision to suspend the program came about a week after the officer who works with the dog said he would be coming back to work after being out on a work-related injury, Hongo wrote.
"(F)or all practical purposes, the Town has been without the K-9 Program for the past six (6) months and no one has taken notice. On the rare occasion the department needed a police dog, a call was placed to State Police, or a neighboring police department, and one was made available immediately," Hongo wrote.
A dog is needed six to eight times per year, Hongo said.
Getting rid of the canine unit is just the latest in an ongoing whittling down of the police force since Mayor April Capone Almon took office, Miller said.
Cari called the move political.
“They’re getting rid of a program that we’ve had since the 1960s,” Cari said. “I’ve had one of the most successful dogs ... and he’s got another three good years in him, and it’s just a shame that they’re getting rid of the program.”
Hongo said the costs are higher than $3,500. Two years ago, the town spent $7,000 on dental work for the dog the town spends an estimated $2,200 in payroll costs for early dismissal and overtime costs to care for the dog.
Cari is urging people who don't want to see Daro retired to voice their opinions to Town Hall. The police department's Facebook page also asks people to call the mayor's office to bring back the K9 program.
