The Haines Police and a group of residents are advocating for police dog(s).

Some of the most compelling reasons not to have a police dog in Haines are contained in the Haines Borough Police Department Proposed K-9 Program in the Haines Borough Assembly Packet for the January 22nd Assembly meeting. I quote from the aforementioned proposal: Chapter one, page one: “A K-9 can protect an officer from being injured or killed .”

What does a K-9 do to protect a citizen from being injured or killed?

Chapter one, page one: “The necessity for a K-9 unit within the Haines Borough Police Department grows on a daily basis. One needs only look at today’s news to see the armed robberies, school shootings, burglaries and drug related crimes are skyrocketing.”

Let’s look at today’s news in Haines. On Jan. 21, 2019, the morning news on our local radio station, KHNS, reported a Haines resident installed a gaming table for recreational use only. In the two most recent issues of our local newspaper, the Chilkat Valley News, there is no report of arrests or indictments in Haines. Is there criminal activity in Haines? If the police know of it and want a K-9 unit to fight it, why are they hiding the skyrocketing crimes from us?

The statements made in the proposal go on and on with the reasons not to allow a police dog in Haines.

A police dog will serve only to intimidate our people and militarize our government.

Paul Nelson

Author