Save the Green Bay K-9 unit! Help protect our officers!

IMPORTANT UPDATE!! AS OF JANUARY 9, 2008, & DUE TO THE EFFORTS OF MANY CONCERNED CITIZENS, UNION MEMBERS, & OFFICERS, THE K-9 UNIT HAS BEEN REINSTATED!!!!!!!!! WITHOUT THE HELP OF ALL THOSE WHO SIGNED OUR PETITION, AND, AS REQUESTED, CALLED & WROTE TO CHIEF ARTS, ATTENDED CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, & PASSED THE WORD, THIS MAY NEVER HAVE HAPPENED!!!

The Green Bay City Council recently voted to get rid of their K-9 unit, effective January 1, 2008 due to "budget cuts." Green Bay spent tens of thousands of dollars to create a canine unit and is now being disbanded. He is quoted as saying, "Unfortunately it was a difficult decision but it comes down to a business that comes down to cost, service, and our ability to manage our resources."

This is not because Green Bay cannot afford the K-9 unit, but, it seems, because of personal and/or political (anti-union?!) motives. The union has given in to all of the city's demands, but one, requesting overtime pay for training days that do not fall on their regular work days.

Either way, if a police K-9 saves one officer's life, how can we, as a community, not "afford" to have him/her in the budget!!!!! SEE SIGNATURE #885 REGARDING A UNIT IN FLORIDA WHO LOST AN OFFICER SHORTLY AFTER THE K-9 UNIT THERE WAS ENDED!! This officer would most likely not have been killed if their k-9 unit had been intact. Was this officer's life not in the budget?!

Why not continue to honor our committment as a community to these dogs who have served us for so long & so well by allowing them to continue living their lives doing what they love & what they are trained to do so well?  Just ONE example of their service is this -Jack, a former Green Bay Police Dog, was stabbed by a criminal over 20 times once. Had Jack not been sent in first, it could have been an officer who was injured or killed. (Please see signature #747 to read this officer's story!!)

If people do not let their voices be heard, we will not have a canine unit next year and our officers and citizens will not be as safe as they are with K-9's such as Poket & Lobo protecting them. These dogs provide an invaluable service to our community, and to all communities worldwide.

Call & complain to Jim Arts, Green Bay Police Chief, who has much say about the future of these dogs & this valuable program.  He is quoted as saying, "Unfortunately it was a difficult decision but it comes down to a business that comes down to cost, service, and our ability to manage our resources." Shall we argue as to what Chief Arts definition of "service" is?

INVITE PEOPLE TO THIS GROUP. THE MORE WHO JOIN THE MORE THAT CAN BE DONE.