BLOOMING GROVE - Next week this important addition to the Blooming Grove Police Department will embark on an intensive training program that will last 13 weeks. It's an event that the department and Town has been working diligently for many months to achieve. There was qualifying to receive this exceptional breed that has been on or near the top of the list of breeds that excell as a law enforcement partner. There were months of collaborating with the breeders in Europe and determining what this young pup will need, both to succeed and to stay safe. There were determinations of adaptation of the police vehicle for a specialized compartment that would keep him safe during high speed chases, yet able to exit speedily when needed. There was a complete veterinary physical on arrival. And there was a long conversation about how to detail the vehicle so passers by would know there is a K-9 Officer inside.
The Department said, "We'd like to introduce the newest addition to the Blooming Grove Police Department... K-9 Kelly. Kelly is a male Belgian Malinois whose birthday is 12/4/2022. Kelly will serve as a dual purpose K-9 specializing in narcotics and tracking. Kelly and his handler, Officer Quinn, will be going through 13 weeks of rigorous training beginning in March.
After we achieved the goal of obtaining him, the final step was to name him. We couldn't have thought of a better way to honor Sergeant Matt Kelly's memory than by naming our K-9 "Kelly".
Sergeant Matt Kelly was only 35 years old when he died of cancer. The affection local residents had for the Washingtonille grad who had worked for NYPD before becoming an Officer and Sergeant in the Blooming Grove Department, is once again memorialized, already having had a football field, "Kelly Field" in Washingtonville named after him as well as Matt Kelly Square, where the NYPD First Responders Memorial remembers the losses of 9/11 heroes in the Village of South Blooming Grove.
Yes, a K-9 officer is an expensive addition to a police department, but it is invaluable in countless ways. Not only are these Belgian Malinois born sniffers, strong, intelligent and fast, they protect the lives of our officers and often are able to avoid violence during chases and captures. The Orange County Sheriff's longtime K-9 "Justus", for instance, on one deployment uncovered 10 kilos of cocaine worth 10 million dollars.
K-9 Kelly has many levels of education he can achieve beyond the important skill of tracking narcotics (which is first on the list). but at almost 15 months of age he has many years to expand his skill set. And clearly, by his looks, he may be young in years but already has a lot of strength and a presence that calls for respect.
Welcome K-9 Kelly. We wish the best for him and his partner, Officer Quinn.
Komentari