Kimball city council approves drug dog purchase, nixes bomb dog

The Kimball City Council approved the police department’s request for a drug dog at Tuesday’s regularly scheduled meeting, while it denied the request for a bomb dog.

The council voted 3-2, with Mayor Keith Prunty casting the deciding vote, in favor of a drug dog for the police department. Others voting in favor were council members James Schnell and John Morrison, while council members Christy Warner and James Shields voted against it.

The vote for the bomb dog was defeated by a 4-0 margin.

The council also denied the department immediate approval of a new vehicle for the canine unit and instead suggested that the department pursue other means of transport, including an insert for the existing Ford Explorer at a much reduced cost.

In the original request, Kimball Police Chief Darren Huff said that while both dogs would be multi-purpose dogs, originally one would be trained in drug detection and one a bomb detection dog.

He said multi-purpose dogs are trained in one detection service such as drug, cadaver or bomb. Additionally, the dog would be trained in building and area searches, evidence recovery, tracking, suspect apprehension and handler protection.

Huff said that grants have been obtained that cover the preliminary expenses of one dog, but he also purchased his own dog that he hoped to the department for $1 per year in addition to veterinarian fees and the costs for shots and insurance. The council voted against the second canine, which would be the one leased by Huff to the city, for the current fiscal year.

The discussion to deny the request for the second dog centered on the need to control the police department’s spending for the remainder of the current fiscal year. A second canine could be added at a later time.

“We have one dog paid for completely through K9s4COPS that includes training,” Huff said. “We also have $30,000 in money from the UP Foundation that will pay for the logistics of a vehicle, inserts for two vehicles and some of the training equipment we are going to need.”

Huff also said that Home Depot has donated a full kennel and materials for a concrete base, Frenchman Valley Coop has offered two bags of dog food per dog, and local veterinarian Mimi Shaw is donating a 50 percent discount on ongoing veterinary needs.

“We are hoping to do ongoing maintenance and in-service training that we would have to pay for through all of our funding,” Huff said. “We are also in the process of setting up a non-profit for our canine program.”

Huff said he hopes the non-profit would raise enough funds for ongoing costs through donations as well as various fund-raising activities, though Schnell stated he would rather see any funds raised be put away for the eventuality of replacing a retired canine.

Questions also arose concerning the Kimball County Sheriff’s Office’s drug detection dog. Huff stated that the canine has been unavailable to his department.

“We have made several requests throughout the last year that I know of, that he has either been unavailable or has been out of town due to other engagements or other duties,” Huff said. “I can’t tell you a number, it has been a lot.”

Huff added that the sheriff’s office canine was not used in the most recent drug busts, but the State Patrol had three dog teams in town.

“They were brought in special,” Huff said. “We don’t have any other dogs other than the single-purpose drug detection dog.”

Huff said that the department will certify the dogs to state and national standards as state certification is now statutorily mandated.

“As I understand it, the sheriff’s canine is only certified from the vendor they purchased it from,” Huff said. “It is not certified through State Patrol. State Patrol will not use the sheriff’s dog because he is not certified to their level.”

Although the council denied the request for a bomb dog, Huff said prior to the meeting that it could be beneficial to much of western Nebraska.

“That is why Scottsbluff has their own bomb squad which is trained technicians on diffusing or otherwise moving and detonating a device,” Huff said. “My idea was to propose it to the city as a way for us to be able to cover, so to speak, western Nebraska and have that service available.”

Huff knows of only one bomb scare in the time he has served Kimball and he is unsure of any needs in the surrounding area.

“I would rather be able to provide a service than to say that we don’t have that available,” Huff said last week.