Mount Pleasant Police Chief Mark Arnold administered the oath of office to two new K9 officers today.
K9 Vaughn and K9 Kee are already on the job, working with their handlers, Sgt. Gary Myers and Senior Police Officer Thomas Plyler. Their additions bring the department's K9 unit to six dogs. Five are patrol dogs, and one is a dual-purpose dog.
"Our K9 officers are an incredible asset to our agency," Arnold said. "They find missing people, locate drugs and assist in apprehending dangerous suspects. Their value and importance cannot be overstated."
Vaughn is a 1 1/2-year-old male Belgian Malinois patrol dog trained for tracking, article searches, apprehension, building searches and narcotics detection.
Kee is a nearly 2-year-old female Belgian Malinois and the department's dual-purpose dog. She is trained for tracking and narcotics detection.
Their names are especially meaningful to members of the Mount Pleasant Police Department. Vaughn and Kee are named in honor of Officer Vaughn Edward Kee, who was killed in the line of duty on Dec. 13, 1985, when he was struck by a drunk driver on Ben Sawyer Boulevard.