Police Chief Mike Koster pointed to the prevalence of drug crimes in the city, specifically methamphetamine and opiates, as a key factor for the urgency in bringing a new drug dog into the division.
Pushing the public vote to June 4 sparked strong opposition from council member Marty Barington who said “another eight months of dead time” would increase the likelihood of the loan being defeated.
“If somebody will say no, I’d like to hear what other recommendations they have,” said Joe Kippes, a leader of a local nonprofit that formed to raise money for a future dredging project.