A police force as dedicated as SIUC’s own deserves all the available tools necessary to fight crime. Supplying the University Police with a K-9 program would not only be an incredible benefit to the force but to the Carbondale community as well.

Too often the SIUC Police force is taken for granted by our community. Every day, SIUC Police quietly make our campus a safer place with their existence. They also aid the Carbondale Police Department in a collective effort to make the city a safer place.

So when SIUC Police Cpl. Ken Sneed approached Undergraduate Student Government Wednesday about endorsing the idea of a K-9 program, Sneed’s presentation should have met with resounding approval.

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Sneed, who has been trying to add a K-9 program to SIUC Police for seven years, gave USG a number of reasons why a new police dog should merit their endorsement.

For example, a police dog can track missing people or suspects from a crime scene in cases of sexual assaults or burglary. The DE Police Blotter reported two cases of burglary of on-campus residential buildings in November that were under investigation. Maybe those cases would have been helped by the presence of a police dog.

A police dog would be a considerable aid to SIUC Police in searching for suspects in large campus buildings. Sneed said it might take 45 minutes for a team of four officers to clear a building giving would-be suspects ample time to evade police. With a police dog and a dog handler alone, a large building could be cleared in only 15 minutes.

With convincing results such as these, it is little surprise that Michigan State University’s police force has had a successful police dog program for 14 years. Sneed said that campus’ police chief later decided to add more dogs to the campus police force.

And if SIUC Police would be able to use a police dog in these situations, as well as in a range of other investigations, then SIUC can help other Illinois public universities needing the same benefit. Our campus would become the first Illinois public university to have a K-9 unit as part of its police force.

In the past, SIUC Police have had the option of borrowing a patrol dog from Carbondale Police or Illinois State Police. But other dog handlers are not always on duty or need to use the dogs for other cases. SIUC Police needs its own K-9 program.

But the major obstacle involved in obtaining a police dog is funding. Sneed estimates that the startup cost of the K-9 program would be between $8,300 and $9,500. An additional $700 to $1,000 would be needed each year to pay for maintenance costs, such as dog food and retraining workshops. The SIUC Police force needs donations to make having a police dog a reality.

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Receiving those donations would be easier if USG decides to endorse the K-9 program a police dog would be a valuable investment in safety. USG endorsement is a very influential force, and lending this endorsement it to SIUC Police is a most responsible move.

At present, USG President Dave Vingren says that although USG has not yet officially decided on whether or not to endorse the K-9 program addition, there is a strong chance of endorsement. This is promising, but it would be even better to see USG support drafted in a resolution.

As Vice Chancellor for Administration James Tweedy recognizes, From a safety standpoint, we could provide many more services to the school but we just don’t have the resources. When it comes to campus safety, funding should be the least of our concerns. As unfortunate as this deficit has been in the past, there is a good chance that USG may help Sneed’s crusade.

All it may take is their endorsement. Then others may see the light and decide to donate money for this cause. Any measures taken to improve our safety should be applauded and acted on accordingly.