As the New Canaan Police Department works toward getting K9 dog Apollo back in service, town officials this week approved an approximately $10,000 contract with a Danbury-based company to ready a NCPD vehicle.
The Board of Selectmen voted 3-0 at its regular meeting Tuesday to approve the contract with Specialty Warning Systems to install K9 equipment in a Ford Interceptor.
The existing K9 vehicle is “an old Crown Victoria with well over 100,000 miles on it and the components it has now are basically failing and it’s antiquated and they don’t make the parts for it any more,” Police Capt. Andrew Walsh told the selectmen at the meeting, held at Town Hall.
“So we need to replace the parts anyway, so we’re going to use a vehicle that will last longer,” Walsh said. “It’s got about 45,000 miles on it so it will last four or five years. And it’s all-wheel-drive so it’s better for the officer operating the vehicle.”
First Selectman Kevin Moynihan and Selectmen Kathleen Corbet and Nick Williams voted 3-0 in favor of the $10,149.48 contract.
The department hasn’t had an active K9 officer since the last one, who is no longer with NCPD, went out on injured leave. Formal training is to start next month for the K9 dog Apollo and his new handler, so they should be certified by year’s end, officials say.
A German shepherd dog from Washington state, Apollo joined NCPD in 2015. He’s now seven years old.
According to the contract, work will include removal of existing prisoner containment and weapon mount, installation of K9 insert for rear seat and heat alert system.
Corbet noted during the meeting whether any of the equipment that’s being removed will be reused in another police vehicle (yes, if possible).