He was specifically bred for police work. Rico replaces Rex, who retired a little more than a year ago, and joins Blek and Ciro, bringing the department up to its full complement of three dogs.
Rico comes to the department thanks to a $12,000 charitable grant from the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation at The Giving Back Fund. Another $2,000 was donated by White Castle to cover the remaining costs of canine training.
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“The West Chester Police Department is incredibly fortunate to have such amazing support from the community,” said Chief of Police Joel Herzog. “In addition to thanking our generous donors, I’d like to also say a special ‘thank you’ to the West Chester Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association and to The Community Foundation of West Chester/Liberty for their stewardship in helping to make this opportunity come true.”
Following the Bengals’ Dec. 4 loss to the Steelers, Roethlisberger announced his 11th and 12th grant awards of the 2017 season to the West Chester Police Department and the Fort Mitchell Police Department in Kentucky.
The foundation extends grants to police departments in cities and surrounding areas where the quarterback plays away from home.
Officer Adam Roth, an 11-year township police veteran, has been assigned to handle Rico, whose duties will include apprehension, narcotics and tracking. Starting April 3, Rico will undergo eight more weeks of training at a local facility in Franklin before he is expected to take his post in early summer.
The West Chester Township Police Department K9 Unit was founded in 1993. For more information about the unit, watch: https://vimeo.com/162426540
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