As part of an application process, four furry, four-legged detection devices assigned to the Operation Safe Streets Bureau have been selected to receive tactical body armor.

K9 unit dogs Jemma, Riley, Roxy and Tara are slated to wear bullet and stab-protective vests while conducting narcotics or weapons investigations, with thanks to the non-profit 501c(3) charity organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., an anonymous sponsor, and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, who OK’d the funding.

Jemma, Riley, Roxy and Tara often accompany Operation Safe Streets Bureau detectives who investigate gang-related crimes such as shootings, frequently assist Homicide Bureau investigators with gang-related murders, author and serve search warrants, and conduct parole and probation compliance searches.

The inherently dangerous and sometimes dynamic nature of these investigations requires detectives to don protective gear, so why not the specialized dogs, too?

Now, the handlers can take a little bit of comfort in knowing their canine companions can be outfitted with a layer of protection against bullets and knives.

Charitable benefactors who make receiving new vests possible donate $950 per vest. Each vest weighs approximately 4.5 pounds, is valued between $1,744 and $2,283 and is guaranteed for five years.

The Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. charity is located in East Taunton, Massachusetts. The non-profit organization was established in 2009 to assist law enforcement agencies with this potentially lifesaving body armor for their four-legged K9 officers.

Their mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests, and other assistance to law enforcement dogs and related agencies throughout the United States. The program is open to dogs actively employed in the United States with law enforcement or related agencies who are certified and at least 20 months of age. New K9 graduates and K9s with expired vests are eligible to participate.

Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. has provided more than 2,700 protective vests to deserving agencies in 50 states. The products were funded through private and corporate donations at a cost of more than $2.3 million.

Jemma, Riley, Roxy and Tara are certainly thankful for being considered for the protective vests and look forward to touting the new digs, pending a process of approval by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

For more information about Operation Safe Streets, click [here].
http://shq.lasdnews.net/pages/PageDetail.aspx?id=203

For more information about Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., visit or call 508-824-6978.