RACINE, Wis. — A Racine County nonprofit is behind much of the funding support for police K-9 units used across local law enforcement agencies.
Racine County Support Our Law Enforcement, known as SOLE, has helped fund the 18 dogs currently used across Racine County agencies.
"With SOLE, we strengthen the bond between law enforcement and the community by the work that we do — the initiatives we support," SOLE Secretary Tabitha Miller said.
Police K-9s provide both law enforcement tools and an opportunity for law enforcement officers to connect with the community.
"They're community partners, meaning that they go out to the public — they meet people. It's a great opportunity to build rapport with someone," said Racine Police Officer Devin Jander.
The initial cost of acquiring a dog can be as high as $15,000 to $20,000, including things like training and other needs, according to the Racine Police Department.
Jander works with K-9 Genny, a dog trained for narcotics detection, apprehensions, and tracking.
"The K-9s can smell things that we can't smell. Their nose is incredibly strong," Jander said. "They can locate suspects that are in confined spaces, for example, attics, crawl spaces, wooded areas. And they're putting themselves on the line instead of potentially a police officer — a human being."
Jander said K-9 Genny is typically deployed at least twice per shift. She is one of four K-9s used in the field by the Racine Police Department and assists other departments in the area.
"With me having a narcotic dog, I go all over in the county," Jander said. "For example, if Mount Pleasant needs somebody to do a walk-around on a vehicle, and they don't have a dog working, I'll go over there and use K-9 Genny to do an open-air sniff."
The value of K-9 units extends across multiple areas of law enforcement.
"If we didn't have dogs, it would hurt us in locating narcotics, locating shooting scenes, locating explosives," Jander said.
This week, the Caledonia Police Department shared video of a K-9 being deployed to apprehend a suspect following a stolen vehicle pursuit involving juveniles.
In 2026, SOLE was able to help the Waterford Police Department purchase their first K-9.
"K-9 Molly is trained in drug detection and tracking, including assisting with locating missing or endangered persons," said WPD Chief Timothy O'Neill. "The program enhances our officers’ capabilities, provides support to neighboring agencies when needed, and creates valuable opportunities for community outreach and education."
This year, SOLE also provided a grant to fund a new bite suit to replace RPD's 15-year-old suit used in K-9 training.
For the dogs, the work doubles as play. Jander said the reward system keeps them motivated.
"If they didn't get their ball, they wouldn't want to do any of this. So this is a big game to them, if you will," Jander said.
Beyond K-9 funding, SOLE also supports programs like Shop with a Cop, National Night Out and police wellness initiatives, expenses that are often not covered in municipal budgets.
"That's just as important as supporting the K-9 units. It's all important," Miller said.
Miller, a 20-year Navy veteran, said the work feels like a continuation of her service.
"It fills that need for me to give back and to serve," Miller said. "I feel like I'm serving my community. I'm no longer serving my country, but I'm serving my community."
SOLE is currently preparing for its only fundraiser of the year, the Racine Policeman's Ball.
This year's fundraiser will be held at Festival Hall in Racine on Oct. 10. For more information, including how to purchase tickets, head to www.racinecountysole.org/events.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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