Brundidge could end K-9 program

By Kendra Bolling | Troy Messenger

Published Wednesday, September 16, 2009

The city of Brundidge’s K-9 drug program hasn’t gone as expected, according to Brundidge Police Chief Moses Davenport.

“Our dog program did not go the way went wanted,” Davenport to the city council at Tuesday’s meeting. “It’s not the dog’s fault. It is well trained.”

Davenport told the council the department has had issues with the dog’s trainer and handler.

The chief formally asked the council to eliminate the dog program.

According to Mayor Jimmy Ramage, the dog would have to be declared surplus if the council wanted to take bids to sell the dog.

“It’s just like any other thing we purchase with public money,” Ramage said.

The department does have some possible buyers, Davenport said.

“There’s a chief out of Republic, Mo., who is interested,” Davenport said. “Also interest from one of the Lockheed Martin security guards.”

Davenport said he wanted to sell the car and cage with the dog, if possible.

“There’s nothing wrong with the vehicle. It has less than 100,000 miles on it,” Davenport said.

Councilmember Lawrence Bowden suggested the city find out if the Pike County Sheriff’s Department would be interested or the city of Troy.

“It’d be good to keep the dog in the county, if we could,” Bowden said.

The council decided to table the discussion until it meets again Sept. 23 to decide if the dog should be declared surplus.

Brundidge has seen an influx in burglaries in the north end of town, Davenport said.

There have been several home burglaries.

“It seems whoever is doing it knows the people are out of town,” Davenport said.

Fuda’s Music was also burglarized, Davenport said.

According to Davenport, the suspects stole a microphone from the studio and some guitar strings.

In other business, the council signed a resolution to apply for a TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) grant.

“This resolution will be attached to our Tiger grant application,” Ramage said. “It’s going in today (Tuesday) before midnight.”

Ramage said a lot of people have put time and effort into getting the application ready.

According to Ramage, the city has letter from the Department of Transportation, CSX and a couple of others to help solidify what the council is doing.

The Messenger previously reported that City Manager Britt Thomas stated that this grant program would be beneficial in providing freight rail to the Brundidge landfill.

“This project would have to begin in February 2010 and be completed in February 2012,” Thomas said.

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