The Delmont Police Department will once again have a K-9 unit, after introducing a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois named Dirk at the borough council’s meeting Tuesday night.
In addition to about $60,000 in funding through Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward’s office, Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli also presented Delmont police with a $6,000 check to aid in the dog’s training, garnered from drug forfeiture funding.
“These funds are a perfect example of how state and local government should be working together to make our communities safe and an even better place to live,” Ward said.
The state grant will be used to reestablish the Delmont Police Department’s K-9 program, and is part of a $1 million grant to help improve safety measures throughout the 39th Senatorial District in partnership with Ziccarelli’s office.
Delmont Officer Dylan Keffer, an 8-year member of the department, will be Dirk’s handler. The dog was purchased from Blackjack Malinois in Poplarville, Miss.
Chief T.J. Klobucar said Dirk has completed narcotics detection training and is completing search-and-rescue and tracking training. He expects the dog to be ready for patrol in the fall. The department hasn’t had a K-9 program in nearly 25 years.
“K-9 Dirk’s anticipated to be an asset to ridding dangerous drugs off the streets and will be critical to the aspect of community policing that’s so important to Delmont,” Klobucar said.
Patrick Varine is a TribLive reporter covering Delmont, Export and Murrysville. He is a Western Pennsylvania native and joined the Trib in 2010 after working as a reporter and editor with the former Dover Post Co. in Delaware. He can be reached at pvarine@triblive.com.