Chief, Mayor Explain Need for K-9, Assure Residents Cost to Township Minimal

Barnegat Township Police Chief Art Drexler addressed a standing-room-only-crowd in the municipal courtroom at Monday night’s long, noisy Township Committee meeting to address the Police Department’s new K-9 unit and a slew of cost-saving measures.

The presentation was "an overview of the department’s workings and ways we have tried to save money over the past several years," said Drexler, but much of the discussion centered around the addition of a Belgian Malinois named Bullet to the force just over a month ago. 

Some residents had blasted the new K-9 as too expensive and unnecessary, but Drexler said it was important to his agency’s work and would cost the township very little.  

The department’s K-9 unit used to be pricey, he conceded. The K-9 officer used to receive an 8 percent stipend, and the dog itself, which cost thousands, used to be owned by the township. Not so any more, he said.

"There’s no way I could come to the committee and say we want to continue [the K-9 program], but we have to pay 8 percent," Drexler said. "It wasn’t the right timing."

Ptl. Robert Armstrong paid for and owns the dog himself, Drexler said, representing a $6,000 savings for the township, and the 8 percent stipend was permanently waived from the department’s collective bargaining agreement with the township. Drug seizure money paid for the $4,000 in modifications to a police cruiser to accommodate the dog, Drexler said.

Mayor Jeffery Melchiondo said the township would only be responsible for about $1,000 to $1,500 a year for some of the K-9’s food and veterinary care. The mayor said he has personally started a campaign to raise the money from local businesses to cover the cost. 

"I think it’s something we need to continue," Melchiondo said of the K-9 program. 

Drexler and Barnegat Police Lt. Keith Germain, who joined the chief in giving the presentation, both underscored the need for the dog as well, explaining that waiting for help from a county K-9 team often isn’t an option. 

In a traffic stop where drugs are suspected present but not visible, "we can’t just hold [the driver] there for 45 minutes until the dog comes” Germain said. "We don’t have that option with drugs."

While the dog is used for narcotics searches the majority of the time, Drexler said, it’s also used for tracking. The scariest types of calls, he said, are the ones where toddlers go missing.

"Those people want a K-9 there real quick to do a foot track," he said. 

In addition, said the police, the K-9 is one of the few department assets capable of consistently bringing in seizure money.

Some residents remained concerned that costs associated with the animal could escalate. 

"There’s a lot of expense," said Jake Taylor. Insurance and vet bills add up, he said, and the township has an alternative in calling on the county for K-9 assistance. "My concern is now, when taxes are very high, you add this factor." 

But Joseph Inserra said it’s hard to put a price tag on the services a police dog provides. 

"One of the big blights on society is drugs," Inserra said, and drug problems put a heavy financial burden on the community. "This is a projected savings that could be worked out to show how much money is saved…against the cost of the dog," he said.

In his presentation, Drexler outlined several other changes to the department in the last few years that he said represent both cost savings and better policing, and have correlated with a reduction in the township’s crime rate:

• Gradual reduction in force through attrition from 48 to 45 sworn officers, but an increase in the number of officers on patrol.
• Elimination of the township’s SWAT team.
• Department website and Nixle alert system, which allows the department to communicate with residents.
• Adjustment of scheduling to reduce the number of overtime hours accrued by officers.
• Successful applications for grants, including $50,000 worth in 2010.
• Regular maintenance program for department vehicles.
• Pursuit of a competitive national accreditation, which will result in liability insurance savings.

Correction: In an earlier version of this story, the K-9 was incorrectly described as a Belgian Malamute. Bullet is actually a Belgian Malinois, a different breed.