The Aubrey Police Department has received a grant that will enable the department to buy a specialized dog and train and equip a K-9 officer.

Chief Bryan Barrett said the CoServ charitable foundation issued a check for $13,957 to the police department.

“The main goal of establishing a K-9 unit within the Aubrey community and surrounding areas will be citizen and officer safety,” Barrett said in a news release. “With the increase in K-9 patrols in the community, narcotics trafficking will be greatly reduced, thus providing a safer environment for its citizens.”

Barrett said use of the dog would result in more narcotics-related arrests and vehicle seizures. He believes that in­creased narcotics arrests would  result in fewer felons establishing residence in the area and a decrease in narcotics-supported crime such as burglary, assaults and fraud.

“The K-9 unit will also be used for presentations and narcotics detection within the Aubrey Independent School District,” he said. “The K-9 officer will provide presentations to the school-age children about the workings of the K-9 unit along with live demonstrations and safe and drug-free school presentations.”

— Donna Fielder