Police Chief Tim Kozal and Sergent Bofysil introduced the proposal of a New K9 Program in City Of Muskegon at the 02-13-23 Commissioner Work Session.
The City of Muskegon Police K9 unit had been defunct for years. Currently the entire Muskegon County is supported by 2 K9s with one from the Muskegon County Police and another from the Michigan State Police. The current population of the City of Muskegon is 37,633, and Muskegon County has a population of 173,500. What that means is each of the K9 is responsible for 86,750 residents in Muskegon County, in comparison to Newaygo County at 1:16,122 and Ottawa County at 1:32,425. From the proposal - "The police K9 has a unique impact on the community it serves. These dogs assist in a myriad of areas: drug enforcement, explosives detection, tracking, search and rescue, finding evidence, officer safety and apprehending fleeing subjects through use of non-lethal force. They are also, most importantly, some of the best and most-loved ambassadors of the department - appearing at special events and interacting with the community for public relations purposes. A K9 can both provide valuable tools for the department and break down barriers between the police and the public they serve."
Link to full 02-13-23 Commissioner Work Session on 96 Public TV
