K-9s receive ballistic vests

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From left: Tom Gang of Sunrisers Kiwanis, John Kennedy of Elks Lodge No. 576, Russell Cate of Campbell Kyle Profitt, Gary Duvall of Noon Kiwanis, Richard Bailey of Masonic Lodge No. 57, Noblesville K-9 Police Officer Brandon Brooks and Jabal, Thomas Firks and Ron Wilson of Mason Lodge No. 57 and Noblesville Police Chief Kevin Jowitt. (Photos by Robert Herrington)
From left: Tom Gang of Sunrisers Kiwanis, John Kennedy of Elks Lodge No. 576, Russell Cate of Campbell Kyle Profitt, Gary Duvall of Noon Kiwanis, Richard Bailey of Masonic Lodge No. 57, Noblesville K-9 Police Officer Brandon Brooks and Jabal, Thomas Firks and Ron Wilson of Mason Lodge No. 57 and Noblesville Police Chief Kevin Jowitt. (Photos by Robert Herrington)

A grassroots effort has provided the Noblesville Police Dept. with much needed safety equipment for their police dogs.

K-9 Macho displays the new ballistic vest purchased for three Noblesville Police dogs.
K-9 Macho displays the new ballistic vest purchased for three Noblesville Police dogs.

“There are a lot of things we want to do, but we are not financially able to,” said Noblesville Police Chief Kevin Jowitt, a former K-9 officer with the sheriffs’ office. “We owe them the duty to take care and protect them in dangerous situations.”

The effort to purchase ballistic vests for all police dogs was spearheaded by Noblesville resident Ron Wilson. Wilson was watching the news when he heard an Anderson Police Dept. K-9 was killed in the line of duty in Pendleton. A day later, Anderson lost a second canine after being shot. While reading a Kiwanis magazine, Wilson came across an article about a group in Boston that raised money for K-9 vests.

“After seven to eight phone calls I got a hold of the person who ran the program,” he said. “I called the chief (Jowitt) who just walked out of a meeting talking about vests for our K-9s. I asked, ‘Can I put together a plan to raise the money for you?’”

Masonic Lodge No. 57 of Noblesville sponsored the event and was able to purchase three vests for $3,875 with the help of local businesses, area dog lovers and several community service organizations like the Elks Lodge, Sunrisers Kiwanis and Noon Kiwanis.

“Noblesville is a great community. If we have something that needs to be done, we do it,” Wilson said.

Jowitt said the department has owned bulletproof vests for Noblesville canines, but the last ones purchased are expired. Like human vests, the K-9 ones degrade and become unusable. Jowitt said the duration of K-9 vests is a little longer than human ones, which have to be replaced every five years.

“These vests are better than any other carrier I’ve seen,” Jowitt said.

K-9 officer Brad Purvis said police dogs like his partner, Macho, are sometimes on 15- to 30-foot leashes when patrolling.

“We put our dogs in so many dangerous situations,” he said. “There are places we don’t see where they go like crawl spaces, basements and sometimes other rooms of a house. This makes me feel a little more comfortable he’s at least protected.”

Purvis said the vests take only seconds to clip onto the dogs. The vests are also stab proof, which is especially important because Purvis said, “Everybody’s carrying a knife.”

“It protects all of the vital areas,” he said. “These vests will keep the dogs from getting broken ribs if they are kicked, punched or hit.”


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