White County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Raid will receive a new, custom-fitted bulletproof vest through community donations.
Keeping K-9’s in Kevlar raised more than $2,500 to purchase the body armor. White County K-9 Supervisor Jake Simmons said often times, the Sheriff’s Office does not budget for the gear, so the community support goes a long way.
“We had a ton of people in the community that reached out and wanted to help ,” Simmons said. “The big thing with this non-profit here is they’re really small, and so they are only trying to invest in a dog or two at a time. That way funds stay with the dog that the community is donating for.”
Simmons said the sizing company will now send a sizing kit for K-9 Raid. Simmons said the vest should be in operation in about 12 weeks. Simmons said the vest is rated to stop a .357 magnum round.
“People don’t realize we do a lot of tracking in rural environments, and so, when you try to imagine running nearly full speed through a thicket of woods, it adds extra protection of getting stabbed by a stick or if all kind of fences that you may not see last minute,” Simmons said.
Simmons said K-9 Raid is a dual purpose dog. He specializes in tracking, apprehension, narcotics detection and evidence recovery. Since November 2021, K-9 Raid has been deployed 13 times, assisted in 7 felony arrests and located 84 grams of illegal drugs.
“The company that makes the vest, K-9 Storm, they have a life-time warranty on anything that goes wrong with their vest,” Simmons said.
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