Laguna Beach Police Department to add two service dogs, K9 vehicle with donations

The Laguna Beach Police Department will soon be adding to its ranks, as the department was the beneficiary of recent donations from the community.

Donations totaling $146,300 were accepted by the Laguna Beach City Council on Dec. 14, the funds coming from Bob and Bobi Roper, the Crevier Family Foundation and the Offield Family Foundation.

The funds will go toward the purchase of a police K9 vehicle and two police service dogs.

“This is extraordinarily generous from really generous people in our community, so I want to thank them for that,” Laguna Beach Mayor Sue Kempf said.

Those new additions come following the loss of Ranger, the department’s most recent service dog. During the annual fallen officer remembrance ceremony on Sept. 21, a K9 memorial by Gerard Stripling was introduced.

Laguna Beach Police Chief Jeff Calvert said the department would look to introduce the first of the two service dogs in the first quarter of 2022, with the next one to debut with the department in the second quarter.

Mayor Pro Tem Bob Whalen asked Calvert to describe how police service dogs contribute to the department’s efforts around town.

“Sadly, earlier this summer, we lost K9 officer Ranger to cancer,” Calvert said. “Working with K9 handler Cpl. Zach Fillers, they really became a force multiplier for our organization, for public safety in general.

“The dogs are trained not only for apprehension but for narcotic detection. Another key component to this program is outreach and engagement. My staff and I feel that having seven-day-a-week coverage with both dogs — one on the front half of the week and one on the back half of the week — will just add an additional layer of public safety to the community.”

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