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Police chief reports wellness program, therapy‑animal exploration and drone donation timeline
Summary
Chief Waddell told the council the department is working on officer wellness programs (including a therapy dog) and property/easement enforcement; the department expects donated drones and equipment to arrive and be usable by February, pending presentation to council.
Chief Waddell updated council on police department priorities at the Jan. 13 meeting, describing outreach through community meetings, steps to address vehicles parked in public easements, and work to increase awareness of employee assistance programs. He said the department is looking at a wellness program that could include therapy dogs and that community or foundation support could offset veterinary costs.
Waddell also said the department had ordered drones and equipment as a donation from the police foundation and expected the gear to be available as early as February for training and deployment. ‘‘Working Dogs Oregon came out to the police department today and showed us two canines... That’s something that we were working on,’’ Waddell said when discussing wellness options. Councilors asked about policies and maintenance; the chief said policy development and partnerships would be required before operations could begin.
