Benton Township Police Chief Greg Abrams has a proposal for township trustees. He addressed them this week to ask for permission to seek a grant to purchase and train a K9.
The Benton Township Police Department doesn’t currently have a K9, although it’s had them in the past. Abrams tells us with I-94 running through the township and plenty of activity throughout, there’s a lot a police dog could do.
“I was a K9 handler back in the city many years ago and my dog found the elderly, my dog did school events, my dog went to schools and sniffed lockers,” Abrams said. “I mean, a K9 is a great tool to be utilized in so many ways.”
However, trustees were skeptical. Township Treasurer Debbie Boothby said having a K9 unit in a police department creates large liability costs. She said a previous K9 that worked for the township was always biting people. Trustee Joseph Taylor wondered why Benton Township should have a K9 when most other local departments in the county don’t.
Abrams says he’s going to hold a workshop with the board to further explain his proposal.
“So it looks like the board has questions about the last two K9 handlers that were here and I’m not sure if they even knew about the policy and procedures that even existed, if they did exist. So I’m putting all that together now just so I can sell this package to them.”
Abrams said it looks like he’s in for a fight, but he wants to convince trustees having a K9 would be worth it.
The last two K9s used by the Benton Township Police Department weren’t owned by the township, but by their handlers. This one would be township-owned, and an officer would be trained to serve as its handler.
Abrams was asking to apply for a $10,000 Heart of Cook grant to go toward the K9 purchase and training, which overall would cost $18,000. Trustee Linda Scarbrough told the chief he was putting the cart before the horse, suggesting the board may consider the grant after it gets more information.
