Albion PD will bring back K9
ALBION – The Village Board tonight approved bringing back a K9 for the Albion Police Department.
The Albion PD has been without a drug-detecting dog for several years. The previous K9 handler, Joe Fuller, retired last year.
Robert Wagner, an Albion police officer, will be the new handler. He will train with the new dog, to be purchased in a few weeks from a breeder in Pennsylvania. Wagner and the dog will train for 14 weeks with the Rochester PD and should be in service with the Albion PD this summer, Police Chief Roland Nenni said.
The department has $11,000 towards the dog and training, which includes $6,000 in donations and $5,000 from a drug forfeiture account through the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force.
The police department already has a vehicle to transport the dog from Fuller’s tenure, Nenni said.
“This will be a big asset for the police department, which has a long history with a K9,” Nenni said.
The dog can track down suspects, detect drugs, help officers’ collect evidence, and help in many other ways, including public relations.
“A K9 can save us a lot of personnel time and also save a lot of lives,” Nenni said.
