PAYSON, Utah — The Payson Police Department is asking for your help as they try to raise thousands of dollars to support the purchase of a new K-9 for their force.
They’re often called man’s best friend. But in this Utah County department, their dog earns a couple more superlatives.
“Most photogenic for our department, for sure,” said Sgt. Austin Cobbley. “Hard-working.”
For Officer Tanner Gille, who handles K-9 Nova, she is also his favorite investigative partner.
“I’ve had her since she was about a year and a half… and now she’s four," said Gille. "We’ve probably gotten deployed hundreds of times.”
Gille says it's more often than not that the German shepherd’s nose can break open a case.
“She can indicate for heroin, fentanyl, meth and cocaine," Gille said.
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But since January of this year, Nova’s been the only dog on duty after their other K-9 retired.
That loss is a rough one for a force only 25 officers strong.
"We are, in effect, running with an officer down,” said Sgt. Cobbley, who serves as the department's public information officer.
But the department is currently feeling the bite of the price tag on a new dog.
“It’s right around the $13,500 range, is what we’ve been quoted,” Cobbley said.
Cobbley says they went searching for a dual-purpose dog — which the department hasn’t had in 15 years.
That would mean that in addition to doing the detective work, it could go out with officers on patrols and help apprehend criminals.
“On those higher-priority, critical-incident-type calls, it’s another less lethal option," said Cobbley. “Just the barking can sometimes de-escalate a situation enough, because no one wants to get bit by the dog."
Or it can simply serve as another friendly, furry face in the neighborhood.
“When that dog comes out of the car, people swarm,” Cobbley said.
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So as they sit $7,000 short of what they need to raise, they hope people will help them to bring Nova some support and to build bridges between officers and the community.
“We want to engage with [the public] in a positive manner so that people realize that we can be a resource just as much as we have to be a consequence,” said Cobbley.
If you want to support the department's efforts, you can visit them in person, call the station at 801-465-5240, or email Sgt. Cobbley at austinc@paysonutah.gov.
