QB Roethlisberger helps Sharon and Shenango PD
Two police departments in the Shenango Valley received donations to beef up their K-9 units from a charity founded by the Pittsburgh Steelers starting quarterback.
Two police departments in the Shenango Valley received donations to beef up their K-9 units from a charity founded by the Pittsburgh Steelers starting quarterback.
The Shenango Township and Sharon police departments will be using a total of $23,000 from the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation and the Giving Back Fund to add some four-legged officers to their ranks.
According to the North American Police Work Dog Association, there are more than 65,000 police dogs across the United States.
Canine team duties include obedience, tracking, area searches, article searches, building searches, aggression control, narcotics detection, and conducting public service canine demonstrations.
Shenango Township Police Department already has a K-9, Drago. Drago joined the force in 2012, and is dual-trained in narcotics detection and patrol work.
Shenango officers announced they received $13,000 from the Roethlisberger Foundation, which they say will be used toward purchasing and training a new K-9.
Patrolman Daniel Tressler will attend the training with the canine.
“Continuing the canine unit will enable our department to combat the ongoing heroin epidemic and better serve our community as a whole,” Tressler said in a news release. “I look forward to the opportunity to train and work with the Shenango Police Department's newest canine officer.”
The Sharon Police Department received $10,000 for their K-9 Fund, which they've been accepting donations for since 2014.
“We've been soliciting funds for the past year and a half, and we've collected over $40,000 so far,” said Chief of Police Gerald Smith.
Smith said the department has a dog selected, and are hoping the dog can be trained and ready to go by sometime in May.
Money from the K-9 Fund will be used to purchase the dog and go toward a new vehicle that the chief said they're hoping to get in the future.
Smith said they are still collecting donations for their K-9 Fund.
“We just want to thank everyone for their support, and we ask that anyone who would like to support our cause to donate,” said Smith.
To donate, checks that are made out to the Sharon Police Department K-9 Fund are being accepted at the administration building, 155 W Connelly Blvd.
