The chairman of the City Council’s Public Safety Committee said he opposes a Police Department plan to start a canine patrol unit and will ask his panel to recommend against it when it meets Tuesday.
“I just don’t think St. Charles has the type of crime that would warrant turning to dogs for help,” said Ald. Greg Pacelli. “That kind of suggests a heavy-handed approach to law enforcement.”
Chief James Roche said he plans to continue lobbying for the proposal.
“That’s something I expected to run into,” Roche said of Pacelli’s comments. “It just puts more of a burden on us to prove what kind of positive things can come from having a canine unit.”
A Washington-based police consultant recommended in a report in June that the city add a canine patrol to its 47-officer department.
Roche said the department could use a dog to sniff for drugs, track suspects and search buildings for dangers before sending in an officer.
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However, the 1994-95 budget is projected to have little room for extra expenses, and the cost of adding a canine unit could reach as much as $30,000.