Whitmire approached the committee asking to add two more officers for next yearâs budget.
âOur third shift has increased dramatically,â said Whitmire. âAlmost 200% increase in calls of service.â
The Angola Police Department currently employs 18 officers, but Whitmire said that the city should have closer to 21 officers based on Federal Bureau of Investigation and International City/County Management Association assessments.
While the committee agreed that the city would benefit from two new officers, member Dave Martin raised the point that the city may not be able to afford hiring them both at once.
âIâm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth,â Whitmire said. âIf you guys tell me that we can only fund one, then thatâs exactly what weâre going to work with. One is going to help us out tremendously. Two would be the absolute best case scenario.â
ANGOLA â Angola Police Chief Ken Whitmire announced last week that the department has selected a new candidate for its K-9 unit, Officer Max Essman.
The Angola police department has expressed interest in a new canine officer for the past few weeks and is excited by the prospect of a new furry recruit.
âWe very much look forward to having another canine,â said Whitmire. âThat would give us one on each shift and broaden our abilities a bit more.â
The department currently has two canine officers. Zara began in May 2019 with her handler Officer Brian Knoll, and Diego joined soon after in June 2020 with Officer John Burris.