Rochester Police K9 Receives Donated Body Armor

Thanks to a recent donation, a Rochester police canine officer will be sporting some brand new body armor.

They're probably the cutest members of the Rochester Police Department, and now one of them is set to be even more handsome in his new gear. According to a post on their Facebook page, Rochester police K9, Titan, will be sporting a brand new bullet and stab-protective vest, thanks to a donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest In K9s, Inc.

Vested Interest In K9s is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests to dogs of law enforcement across the country, the post noted. They've already outfitted over 3,800 to police K9's in all 50 states.

The post said the new vest will be embroidered in tribute to Duluth police K9, Haas, who was killed in the line of duty in January of 2019. And these vests are some pretty impressive pieces of equipment. The post noted they're custom-fitted for each canine, they weigh between 4 and 5 pounds, and are valued at between $1,700 and $2,200.

Here in Rochester, Titan will be sporting his new vest (which should be here in 8 to 10 weeks, the post said) as he patrols southeast Minnesota with his partner, Officer Vedran Tomic. Titan's been a member of the force since July of 2019.

I'm always amazed at the incredible level of training police K-9's exhibit. My wife and I (well, mainly my wife) have been busy for the past two years trying to get our 2-year-old Australian Cattle Dog, Asher, trained, so we know what a process that can be-- and that's just training him to quit herding our cats and not chase squirrels and rabbits while we're out on a walk, let alone training them to help keep our streets safe.

Thanks for your service, Officers Tomic and Titan-- we're glad you'll be even safer with your new vest!

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