Agenda Item Wording:
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Authorize a sole source purchase to replace three (3) Police Services Dogs from Gold Coast K9 Services located in Ventura, CA, appropriate $83,300 and accept a donation of $40,000 from the non-profit organization, Friends of Visalia Police K-9.
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Deadline for Action: 1/26/2023
Submitting Department: Police Department
Contact Name and Phone Number: Chief Jason Salazar, ext. 4215, jason.salazar@visalia.city; Captain Luma Fahoum, ext. 4103, luma.fahoum@visalia.city; Financial Analyst Liz Ybarra, ext. 4250, liz.ybarra@visalia.city.
Department Recommendation:
Authorize a sole source purchase to replace three (3) Police Service Dogs from Gold Coast K9 Services located in Ventura, CA, appropriate $83,300 and accept a donation of $40,000 from the non-profit organization, Friends of Visalia Police K-9.
Summary:
The Visalia Police Department has utilized the services of Police Service Dogs for more than 40 years. Police service Dogs have proven to be a valuable tool enhancing officer and public safety through a variety of service applications such as their ability to search, track, assist in apprehensions of suspects, locate evidence, detect narcotics, and as a valuable community outreach asset. Police Service Dogs can be utilized to assist in searching, tracking, and locating persons or evidence beyond the abilities of their human partners and can also be deployed in situations to minimize risk to police officers enhancing officer safety.
Beyond the service enhancement benefits provided by Police Service Dogs, the Visalia Police Department has historically involved the Police Service Dogs in a variety of community outreach events and public engagements including, but not limited to: Coffee with a Cop, Hometown Heroes, service club and school presentations. Police Service Dogs have proven to be a great tool for making positive connections with the community and interactions with officers.
One of the Police Service Dogs purchas...
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