DeKalb Times

The Loves Park Police Department fundraiser, attended by Sen. Dave Syverson, raised money to fund two K-9 trainings and equipment for the department. The event was held Dec. 19.

In a Facebook post the same day, Syverson shared photos from the fundraiser, expressing his  support for the police department. 

“Great turnout for the K-9 Unit fundraiser today. They raised over $35,000. Always proud to support the BLUE,” Syverson wrote in his post. 

The Loves Park Police Department surpassed its goal of raising $10,000 to support its K-9 Unit before the fundraiser even began, according to My State Line. In the article, Deputy Chief Mike McCammond said that support from the community was “overwhelming,” adding that the K-9 units used by the departments are “invaluable.” 

According to the Chicago Police Department, the average cost of a police dog is more than $9,000. Though the  department utilizes mostly German Shepherds, it also works with Belgian Malinois and Labrador Retrievers. These dogs work for an average of 10 years before retiring with their handlers’ families, the website states. 

Although Mayor Lori Lightfoot has claimed she does not support defunding the police, 400 police officer positions were cut in Chicago in 2020, a July 20 Forbes report states. Between 2015 and 2020, $17.3 million in taxpayer dollars went toward guarding “unnamed city officials” while in 2020, security detail costs peaked to a high, up $700,000 over a five-year period.