The Rockmart Police Department is about to bring another new officer onto the force, and thanks to a donation from an anonymous citizen the four-legged cop will have everything he needs to do the job without further cost to taxpayers.

Rockmart Police Chief Randy Turner told the Rockmart City Council during their Tuesday evening, November 8 meeting that the campaign to raise funds to ensure K-9 Officer Gena has all the food, vet bills, training and equipment covered by donations, and a big one came in recently to cover the cost of vehicle equipment for former PCSO K-9 Officer Thor.

K-9 Thor’s handler Officer Mike Stewart was recently a deputy at the Sheriff’s Office. He was hired on joined the Rockmart Police Department, but so far hadn’t been able to bring him into the field because his cruiser lacked the necessary safety equipment for the K-9 to ride comfortably in the back.

“We’ve got a second K-9 now hitting the streets of Rockmart,” Turner was excited to report. “This way, we’ll have coverage seven days a week…. And both K-9s are hitting the road at no additional cost to taxpayers.”

Thor was donated to Stewart when he left the Sheriff’s Office. It’s a routine practice to keep handler and dog together if at all possible, since a loving bond has developed between the two through weeks of training and years of service.

“We didn’t put him on the road at first, because we were holding onto our money to take care of our first K-9,” Turner said.

“The hold-up at first was the cost of equipping a vehicle,” Turner added later during his explanation. “The cost of equipping a vehicle can go for anywhere between $8,000 and $10,000.”

Turner told the council that when the possibility of bringing Thor onto the force became known around the community, a county landowner from Stockbridge reached out to help.

“Saturday I came in, met him at the police department and he handed me a check for $10,000 to cover that,” Turner said.

Donations like this have made the program affordable for the Rockmart Police Department. Turner started out with his announcement reporting to the Mayor and Council that the program since its inception continues to grow.

“A couple of years ago, I made an initiative within the Rockmart Police Department to begin a K-9 program. And part of that, I wanted to do it tax-free, without any cost to the taxpayers,” Turner said. “It’s been a successful program, a self-sustaining program.”

Mayor Sherman Ross was excited by the news of the new addition onto the force, along with City Manager Stacey Smith. Ross said it was “fantastic” and Smith added a “Great Job!” before the news got a round of applause from the audience and council members for the news.

Both of the K-9 Officers will continued to be funded through community donations and via fundraising opportunities, like an annual fundraising race and more.