Department of Correction

Correction


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 9, 2018

CONTACT: pressoffice@doc.nyc.gov, (718) 546-0631

NYC Department of Correction K9s to Receive

Body Armor Thanks to National Charity

Nikki, one of the sixteen lucky DOC dogs who will be receiving a new protective vest.

January 9, 2019 — Sixteen NYC Department of Correction K9s will receive bullet and stab protective vests, thanks to a charitable donation from a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting America’s law enforcement dogs.

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., a 501c (3) charity located in East Taunton, MA, will be supplying the Department’s K9 Unit with state-of-the-art vests sponsored by the Survival Armor incentive program. The lucky dogs-- Rugby, Justice, Nikki, Kain, Kaos, Gunner, Zeus, Soca, Ace, Khaleesi, Ajax, Kiara, Cole, Logan, Casper, and Bane—will receive their new vests within eight to ten weeks, and each will be embroidered with the statement, “This gift of protection is provided by Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. and Survival Armor.”

“The New York City Department of Correction’s K-9 Unit would like to thank Vested Interest in K9s and Survival Armor for their generosity and longtime support of the K-9 law enforcement community,” says Andre Cox, Executive Director of Canine Operations for DOC. “The ballistic vests are a great addition to K9 handlers and their partners, and will assist with protecting our K-9 teams while they conduct daily operations and assignments.”

The Department’s K9 Unit plays an integral part in keeping New York City’s jails safe. Within the last six months, the Unit has assisted with 106 contraband seizures and 87 arrests. The K9 teams operate seven days a week in the City’s jail facilities, where they also provide DOC personnel with four-legged support as they carry out one of the City’s toughest jobs.

Correction Officer James Ketterer trains with K9 Bane

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc.’s stated mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States. According to Vested Interest, the non-profit was established in 2009 to assist law enforcement agencies with this potentially lifesaving body armor for their four-legged K9 officers. The organization says, since its inception, it has provided over 3,200 protective vests, in 50 states, through private and corporate donations, at a value of $5.7 million dollars.

The program is open to dogs actively deployed in the U.S. with law enforcement or related agencies who are certified and at least 20 months of age. New K9 graduates, as well as K9s with expired vests, are eligible to participate.

Vested Interest estimates there are 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States and calculates that the donation to provide one protective vest for a law enforcement K9 is $950.00, with each vest reportedly having a value between $1,744 - $2,283, a five-year warranty, and an average weight of 4-5 lbs.

For more information about the vests and volunteer opportunities, call 508-824-6978 or mail to P.O. Box 9, East Taunton, MA, 02718. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., also provides information, event listings, and accepts tax-deductible donations of any denomination at www.vik9s.org.

About the New York City Department of Correction
The New York City Department of Correction (DOC) provides for the care, custody, and control of persons accused of crimes or convicted and sentenced to one year or less of jail time. The Department manages 11 person in custody facilities, 8 of which are located on Rikers Island. In addition, the Department operates two hospital Prison Wards (Bellevue and Elmhurst hospitals) and court holding facilities in each borough. During Fiscal Year 2018, the Department handled over 49,000 admissions and managed an average daily person in custody population of approximately 8,900 individuals. Our dedicated workforce of both uniformed and non-uniformed staff members represent the city’s BOLDEST.