Published: June 01, 2009 11:24 pm      

TOWN OF TONAWANDA: Police Department's drug battle goes to the dogs

Town of Tonawanda police will welcome a new member to its force sometime this year. The newcomer won’t carry a gun, and he (or she) will be paid in biscuits.

Dog biscuits, to be exact.

More than two years after the police created a special unit to combat the town’s rising drug sales, the department will get its much sought-after K-9 unit, thanks to contributions from local businesses during the last 18 months.

Creating the K-9 unit was approved at Monday’s town board meeting.

Purchasing and training the dog, along with retrofitting a police cruiser costs close to $12,000. However, taxpayers should not expect to pay for the dog.

“The town board was generous to put a line in the budget to maintain the dog,” said Chief of Police Anthony J. Palombo. “Between donations and drug forfeiture rewards, it should pay for itself.”

Although a dog has yet to be purchased, Palombo said the department is in the process of selecting a handler. He said four officers are interested in working with the dog.

“That’s good to see,” Palombo said, “because we’ve had a number of them involved in this process.”

The dog will be trained to find drugs, search for people and will have some attack training, which is expected to start in September. After the unit has successfully completed its schooling, there will be additional training before the dog is brought into service.

When it’s ready for action, the animal will likely be used for drug sweeps in area schools and at other places.

Palombo said a K-9 unit is important for the town to crack down on drug trafficking.

“We have so many main thoroughfares in the town and we know people are trafficking, whether it’s for sale or for private use,” Palombo said. “This will be one more tool to interdict that.”

This will be the first time in a generation that the town has a police dog. Palombo said the town also had a K-9 in the 1970s.

In other business Monday, following individual public hearings, the board approved three special use permits for commercial ventures.

Coffee Culture Cafe & Eatery will open its third location in the United States at 2631 Sheridan Drive, east of Parker Boulevard. The Canadian company has two other Western New York locations, in Williamsville and Ellicottville.

“We feel this location is under-utilized,” said Dave Sutton, the project’s architect. “There will be full exterior and interior rehabilitation at the property.”

The location formerly housed a Wendy’s in the 1980s and, more recently, a Long John Silver’s.

A new metal building for expansion at Casullo’s Automotive, 2783 Elmwood Ave., was also approved, as was expansion at 3311 Delaware Ave., where Mufflerman will build an addition to connect two existing businesses.

Contact night city editor John Hopkins at 693-1000, ext. 150.