Niceville Police Seek Community Support to Fund New K-9 Officer

The Niceville Police Department asks the community for help raising funds for a new Police K-9 as the division prepares for the retirement of Kodi, the only current Police K-9 at NPD. Kodi will retire alongside his handler this July. 

“To help replace them we have an officer that is set to go to training this month to replace Kodi,” Chief of Police Mark Hayse said at the Niceville council meeting on March 10. 

According to a Facebook post by NPD, the department hopes to raise $100,000 for the new K-9, as well as essential equipment and a designated vehicle for the K-9 Division. As of March 6, they’d raised $5,525. NPD said every dollar raised will go directly to this cause.

With this fundraiser, NPD honors K-9 Blue, who was killed in 2022 when his handler, Sgt. Phillip Ritcheson, was involved in a crash on Highway 85. Blue had served Niceville for five years.

The K-9 Division helps police with “building searches, area searches, evidence detection, narcotics detection, tracking missing persons, tracking fleeing persons, crowd control, and promoting favorable public relations,” as stated on the City of Niceville’s website. 

To donate to NPD’s K-9 Division, contact NPD at 850-729-4030. Donors may also bring physical donations to the NPD Administrative Office at 212 Partin Dr N.