The Grafton K-9 Foundation hopes to raise $100,000 for a K-9 unit for village police
The Grafton K-9 Foundation is raising funds to add a K-9 unit to the village’s police department.
The foundation was formed in fall 2021 with a goal of raising $100,000 by September this year.
This isn’t the department’s first attempt at adding a K-9 unit. Police Chief Jeff Caponera said the department considered the addition before he became chief in 2020.
“It kind of went stagnant,” said Caponera. “I’m not sure why it died on the vine.”
Caponera said he discovered the proposal while browsing through books at the police station.
“I started looking through, and I reached out to Pat Brock,” Caponera said. “He’s the one that made the proposal.”
Meeting a need
Public Information Officer Patrick Brock has 15 years of experience at the Grafton Police Department.
Brock said K-9 units at other departments aren't always available due to the needs of other jurisdictions, scheduled training sessions and the work shifts of K-9 handlers. About 60% of the requests Grafton makes to neighboring agencies for K-9 units are unable to be filled "especially in the last three to four years," he said.
Caponera said the department’s need for its own unit is growing as crime moves into the village.
“We have a lot of crime coming here from Milwaukee, so we’re seeing an increase in drug crimes, an increase in retail thefts, especially," Caponera said.
“But with those crimes comes a lot more other things that are tied to that,” he added. “Stolen vehicles, carjackings, that kind of thing. When people come up here in a stolen car, they dump the stolen car and steal another one or try to carjack somebody. So we have had those instances that justifies the need. It's just one more tool in our tool belt to be able to help us out.”
The group’s board of directors includes Caponera, Brock, Seven Coffee owner Dwight Bode, resident Cassandra Mammen and attorney Jim Button.
Caponera said their initial goal will cover the costs of the dog, training, equipment and a new vehicle.
He said the vehicle would be outfitted with carbon monoxide detectors and heat sensors. Should the vehicle’s air conditioner shut off while the dog is unattended, a door-popper system would let the dog outside to protect it from heat exhaustion.
The foundation recently submitted paperwork to become a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Caponera said they hope to receive nonprofit status by March 10, at which point the group will begin hosting fundraising events like a cornhole tournament later this year.
Brock said all of the proceeds from The Hutch Tavern’s ice fishing tournament during the weekend of Feb. 26 will go toward the foundation. In the fall, the group will host a dog walk/run fundraising event.
The foundation is accepting donations through Venmo: @graftonK9. People can also donate or purchase K-9 unit t-shirts at NSeven Coffee, 1307 Wisconsin Ave.
Eddie Morales can be reached at 414-223-5366 or eddie.morales@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @emoralesnews.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Grafton Police Department raise funds for K-9 unit
