Madison County Sheriff’s Office K9 Micah to get body armor

Madison County Sheriff’s Office K9 Micah will receive a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. K9 Micah’s vest is sponsored by an Anonymous Sponsor and will be embroidered with the sentiment “Gifted by Hasday- Be Safe Be Strong”. Delivery is expected within eight to ten weeks.

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. is a 501c (3) charity located in East Taunton, MA whose mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States. The non-profit was established in 2009 to assist law enforcement agencies with this potentially lifesaving body armor for their four-legged K9 officers. Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provided over 2,800 protective vests, in 50 states, through private and corporate donations, at a cost of over 2.4 million dollars.

The program is open to dogs actively employed in the U.S. with law enforcement or related agencies who are certified and at least 20 months of age. New K9 graduates, as well as K9s with expired vests, are eligible to participate.

The donation to provide one protective vest for a law enforcement K9 is $950.00. Each vest has a value between $1,744 – $2,283 and a five-year warranty, and an average weight of 4-5 lbs. There is an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States. For more information or to learn about volunteer opportunities, please call 508-824-6978. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provides information, lists events, and accepts tax-deductible donations of any denomination at www.vik9s.org or mailed to P.O. Box 9 East Taunton, MA 02718.

K9 Micah loves her job and is extremely grateful to Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. for donating a vest to help keep her safe. K9 Micah is a 4 year old German shepherd, who is certified in narcotics detection, tracking, building searches and handler protection. She became a member of the Madison County Sheriff’s Office in 2016 after being donated by the German Shepherd Rescue of CNY and completing a three month full time training academy with her handler, Deputy Kevin Feola.

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office sends our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Whitesboro Police Officer, Kevin Crossley, who was tragically killed in the line of duty yesterday.

RIP Kevin

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) held a retirement ceremony today to pay their respects to K-9 Kota for his dedicated years of service. K-9 Kota has been serving Madison County under the direction of his handler, Sergeant Burbidge, since 2011. K-9 Kota is extensively trained in explosive detection, tracking, building searches and handler protection and used his training to keep our community, fellow law enforcement officers and his handler safe for many years.

K-9 Kota will remain in the care of his handler after retirement and enjoy his time playing with his new sister, K-9 Jada. K-9 Jada was donated to Sergeant Burbidge and the MCSO by a local breeder. K-9 Kota and K-9 Jada spent many months together to help K-9 Jada become well acclimated to the K-9 training program.

The MCSO is proud to of had K-9 Kota serve the citizens of Madison County for as long as he did and wishes the best of luck to K-9 Jada. Enjoy your retirement Kota!

Cone With A Cop

Members of the Madison County Sheriff’s Office volunteered their time to visit with the 4th graders of Bridgeport Elementary today. The Madison County Deputy Sheriff’s PBA donated ice cream and spent the day mingling with the growing minds of tomorrow. The Sheriff’s Office supplied pencils and stickers for the students as well.

The PBA hopes to extend this program to every elementary school in the county. The goal is to create strong, positive relationships with the children in our community.

Our deputies had a wonderful experience today and are looking forward to visiting with other Madison County school students.

On April 4, 2018, Sheriff Todd Hood presented to students in Mrs. Reff’s Accounting 2 class at Oneida High School. Several students in the class are interested in pursuing a career in Law Enforcement. Sheriff Hood provided valuable insight regarding police work, white-collar crimes, and collaborating with other police agencies. Best of luck to these great students!