04/30/2019- The Menominee Police Department is looking to add another officer to their force- a four-legged one at that. Police Chief Brett Botbyl brought a proposal to the city’s Public Safety/Public Works Committee Tuesday to establish a new K9 unit within the Menominee Police Department. Botbyl says they currently rely on other agencies like the Marinette Police Department and Menominee County Sheriff’s Office when they require K9 assistance for tracking or narcotics detection, but that doesn’t guarantee their availability.
Botbyl says the intention is to have the entire K9 program funded by private donations held in a pass-through fund at the M&M Area Community Foundation. It’s estimated they’ll need about $100000 to get the program off the ground and pay for the dog, its training, the handler’s training, and the K9 vehicle and its equipment outfitting. Mayor Jean Stegeman recognizes the need for this type of a program, but says she’s concerned about potential budget impacts down the road if the donations run out.
The PSPW approved Botbyl’s request to begin fundraising efforts for the program and passed it on to the full City Council for final consideration.