The Binghamton and Johnson City police departments are welcoming two new K9 officers. K9 Dona and K9 Cruz just finished an extensive nine-week training program and are now set for active duty. K9 Cruz was purchased by Johnson City Police Officer Nicholas Crandall, who began training Cruz at a local K9 unit. K9 Dona was purchased using a grant through the Department of Homeland Security. With the new additions, the Johnson City Police Department now has two K9 units while the Binghamton Police Department now has four. On Tuesday, some 9-week-old puppies with direct bloodlines to a retired Binghamton Police K9 were also introduced as they are set to begin training in a few weeks. The Binghamton Police Department is attempting to breed its own K9 officers as it looks to save the department and taxpayers money, with the average cost of a K9 unit being about $8,000.
