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The Tullahoma Police Department has been approved to purchase a K-9 from the Manchester Police Department after hiring Manchester K-9 handler Derek Bowles for a position with the Tullahoma Police Department.

With the hiring of a K-9 certified officer, the Tullahoma Police Department was offered the opportunity to purchase Bowles’ K-9, a 5-year old Belgian Malinois named “Storm,” from the Manchester Police Department. Storm is certified in Narcotics Detection, Tracking and Apprehension.

Along with the purchase of Storm, the Tullahoma Police Department would have to be in possession of a police vehicle capable of transporting a K-9, which the Manchester Police Department was willing to offer to Tullahoma in exchange for a vehicle of comparable value.

“We did hire the K-9 handler,” Tullahoma Police Chief Jason Williams confirmed to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen. “The K-9 Storm is a canine that he has trained and had from day one of becoming a K-9 handler. He’s got five years of service with this particular K-9, and they’ve won several awards throughout the state and nationally. Just from our agency alone, he and this particular K-9 have assisted in some cases that have led to the seizure of $18,000 that have been awarded to the police department. He has a very strong bond with this canine. Technically, the K-9 is still the property of Manchester, but they are willing to sell it to us. They paid $15,000 for the dog, and they’re selling it to us for $7,000.”

He clarified that his understanding of the dog’s initial cost to the Manchester Police Department was for the dog and its pedigree itself, rather than for any training.

“Were we intending to start a K-9 program?” Alderman Kurt Glick asked. “Is that why we hired this officer? Were we having a lot of times where we were needing K-9s and didn’t have access to them?”

“To answer both of those questions, starting a K-9 program was something that we were looking at getting set up within the agency,” Williams stated. “It just so happened that through some recent hiring we’d done that this officer came to Tullahoma. We worked to secure and bring his K-9 with him.”

“I’m not opposed to the K-9 or starting a K-9 program,” Alderman Jenna Amacher said, “I just have a hard time paying $7,000 for something that we’re gonna have to feed and vet bills, and it could die tomorrow. Considering that we have all of these new programs like SROs that we’ve started this year, I don’t know that right now is the time to do that. If somebody was wanting to give us a K-9 dog, that might be a different story.”

She stated that the police department should look into grants for starting the K-9 unit, as well as recommending that the department consider paying for the K-9 out of its drug fund. It had been stated in the agenda provided to the board members prior to the meeting that the money to purchase Storm, totaling at $7,000, would be taken out of the drug fund from the previous fiscal year. No cost was associated with the exchange of vehicles.

Williams restated that the funds for the purchase and care of the dog, including vet bills and daily care, would be taken from the department’s drug fund.

The board unanimously approved the purchase and exchange. According to the barter agreement between the Manchester and Tullahoma police departments, the sale and exchange was to happen on or before Monday, May 29.