$35,000 donation will bolster CP K-9 units

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Updated: February 28, 2012 8:12AM

CROWN POINT — Officials received some news worth barking about after the Police Department received a $35,000 donation to bolster its K-9 ranks.

Businessman and Crown Point resident Dean White made the donation to the Crown Point Police Department after learning about the short- and long-term goals for the K-9 unit, which recently lost one of its members after it was forced to retire early due to a degenerative spinal condition.

Police Chief Pete Land said the “generous donation” will help the department realize its plans.

Land said he recently sat down with White representatives to discuss the K-9 unit’s needs. “A donation of this size I was not expecting,” he said.

The donation will allow the Police Department to have four K-9 units, one for each shift. Land said the department works in three shifts but is moving toward a four-shift work day.

Currently, the department has one police dog in use, Buddy, whose partner is Patrolman Lloyd Eldridge.

Patrolman Stanko Gligic, who came to the department in 2011 from Valparaiso, has been selected to work with the first new K-9. The pair will begin the six-week training program in April. It costs about $13,000 for the dog and training.

The K-9 officers and their four-legged partners are called to duty within the city and also are utilized to assist other local departments that do not have resources for the drug-detecting units.

Mayor David Uran said donations have been important to the Police Department’s K-9 program. He thanked White for its continued support of the city.

“This is really good news, Chief,” Uran said. “A lot has been done with outside donations making this program what it is today.”