In the wake of a tragic incident that claimed the life of K-9 Chase, the Cobb County Police Department is bolstering its safety measures to prevent a recurrence of such an unfortunate event. Last June, while officers took part in an active shooter training at Allatoona High School, Chase, a Belgian Malinois trained in narcotics detection, tracking and other law enforcement duties, suffered a heat stroke inside a patrol car; despite attempts at resuscitation and emergency vet care, the dog passed away due to heat-related injuries, as reported by WSBTV.
Addressing the failure of the vehicle's air conditioning system that led to the K-9’s death, Cobb County police have since taken significant steps, which include the institution of updated standard operating procedures for K-9 units that mandate regular checks of temperature monitoring systems, and vehicle monitoring practices; they are also introducing cellular-based ACE Hot-n-Pop Pro temperature monitoring systems in all K-9 vehicles, plus backup systems that notify up to five contacts in the event of a vehicle failure with one alert specifically configured to reach the 911 dispatch center, as Atlanta News First reported.
Furthermore, the department is implementing application-based cameras in every K-9 vehicle that enable remote live stream viewing with audio, along with a new state-of-the-art K-9 climate-controlled kennel system capable of housing up to eight dogs. To replace the older fleet, which was deemed unreliable, seven new K-9 patrol vehicles have already been purchased, and four more are slated to arrive by the summer according to Cobb County Police Department's public announcements on social media.
The loss of K-9 Chase, who joined the force in April 2020 and contributed to a significant number of narcotics seizures and arrests, has led to these stringent measures being put in place, Cobb County police have since bought seven new vehicles that come with the added measures and hopes that the integration of high-tech safety measures will "hopefully prevent another loss" in the harsh reminder of their duty to protect all officers, both human and canine. Chase not only served as a crucial asset to the force with his specialized training but also became a beloved member of the department.
