Villa Park canine unit gets boost from state

So-called state "pork" will help Villa Park beef up patrols with a new police dog.

The village will restart its canine unit, aided by $15,000 in state grant money.

"You mean the 'pork money'," Village Manager Robert Niemann said when asked about the grant, acknowledging the term some legislators have used to label funds that support municipal projects. "We are making arrangements to get a dog and designate an officer for training."

The $15,000 grant will be applied to the $45,465 in expected start-up costs. The balance of funds needed will come from the police budget.

The canine unit had been part of the police force until the officer assigned to the unit was promoted in 2003.

When asked if he was surprised money for the canine unit wasn't cut from the state budget, Niemann said, "Nothing surprises me down there anymore. We're not surprised, but we are very pleased."

The new canine unit is expected to be up and running by early 2008.

Along with bringing a new police dog to the force, the department also will grow by adding another community resource officer at Willowbrook High School and two new officers specifically for patrol duty.

Trustees voted Monday night to change an ordinance raising the number of sworn police officers to 43, including the current police chief.

The village will allocate funds from $250,000 in anticipated revenue from its newly installed towing fees to cover salaries for the two patrol officers and about one-third of the salary of the new officer at Willowbrook.

Roughly two-thirds of salary for the officer at Willowbrook will be paid for by DuPage High School District 88.