Cranston Police K-9s Receive Bullet, Stab Protective Vests Donation

CRANSTON, RI — The Cranston Police Department on Thursday said its two new K-9 officers, Ryken and Czar, will receive bullet and stab protective vests, following a donation from a nonprofit.

Police said the vests will be embroidered and say, "In memory of K-9 Lex." Lex died in September 2022 after battling cancer.

Delivery is expected within eight to 10 weeks.

Vested Interest in K9s Inc. donated the vests to Cranston police. The nonprofit was established in 2009 and works to provide protective vests for police K-9s throughout the United States.

Police said Vested Interest's vests are custom-made for each K-9 officer.

"This relationship and level of collaboration with Vested Interest has helped us provide essential safety to our K-9s Ryken and Czar, which will last for years and continue to provide effective K-9 back-up for officers on the street and continue to include us as one of the premier K-9 units in the state," Cranston police Maj. Todd Patalano said. "We reiterate that K-9 safety and protection is critical to our agency, given the extremely precarious, hazardous and dangerous situations these dogs are deployed in."