Fed budget to axe Airport K9s
Schumer fights to keep funding
According to Senator
Schumer the White House is
prepared to swing the axe and
totally eliminate a critical and
effective New York City counterterrorism
tool—dog-sniffing
bomb detection teams—
which are used across transit
hubs like JFKAirport, Penn
Station, and more, U.S. He is
sounding the alarm and gearing
up for a worthy fight. The
counterterrorism tool also
known as Visible Intermodal
Prevent and Response (VIPR)
teams are often utilized across
the city in transit hubs, particularly
when threat levels are
up. Schumer is reveaeled that
the just-out budget presented
by the president and his team
22 AIRPORT VOICE, MARCH 2020
has quietly cut the VIPR dog
teams from 31 to 0. Schumer
announced a new fight to keep
the public safety pack protecting
us and made the case
as to why the administration
should reverse its decision immeediaatly.
“It is unthinkable, especially
with terror threats all
the more common here, to
think that the White House
would even put a plan to rid
New York and the nation of
critical DHS and TSA canine
VIPR teams, because those
dogs do some of the most critical
work, and often at a moment’s
notice,” said U.S. Senator
Charles Schumer. “I’m
making it public that I’ve got
a bone to pick with the White
House over the total slashing
of the VIPR counterterrorism
teams and the way
in which this was handled—
without any input from experts
or Congress. So, we
will fight this cut, make the
case, and hopefully keep this
critical tool that is used by
NYPD and others readily
available.”
Project K-9 Hero founder Jason
Johnson said, As a former
TSA Field Canine Coordinator
and a former ATF National Canine
Instructor, I believe that
this is a poor policy decision.
The VIPR Teams provided a
high profile presence and deterrent
to our nation’s transportation
systems. a presence
that prevented acts of terrorism.
That responsibility is the
exact mission of the TSA. Local
police K-9 units are busy
taking care of calls for service
inside the city. It is not just for
the agency to put this financial
burden on the municipalities.
TSA has the ability to cut
funding from many other programs.
The Explosive Detection
K-9 program should never
be one of them.”
Schumer detailed the cut
specifically on page forty-six
of the President’s budget. The
document makes clear that
“the budget proposes to eliminate
the Transportation Security
Administration’s (TSA)
Visible Intermodal Prevention
and Response (VIPR) Teams
which Feds say is duplicative
of the efforts of State and local
law enforcement agencies and
lacks sufficient demonstrable
benefits to justify its continuation.”
Schumer said this kind
of justification simply means
putting the burden on the localities,
like the NYPD,. “This
is just pushing the cost from
the feds to the city, any city,”
Schumer added. “But terror
threats are of national concern,
and New York, other big
cities and transit hubs should
not be shouldering the brunt of
these security costs.” “We only
have 31 VIPR teams across the
country, and New York is often
one of the destinations. To outright
do away with these dogsniffing
bomb detection teams
could be a giant mistake and
put an even bigger target on
New York,” he added.
Retired K9s
deserve care
Project K9 Hero offers help
BY JEFF YAPALATER
Jason Johnson has a best
friend and his name is Axel,
an eleven year old German
Shepherd.
And Axel’s best friend is
Jason who adopted him after
years of service as a tactical
apprehension canine working
in several different federal
agencies. Jason runs the
Project K9 Hero which is an
organization that helps owners
of retired or out of wok
law enforcement canines due
to illness. According to Johnson,
“We are so grateful for
the service of our nation’s retired
Police K-9 and Military
Working Dog Heroes that we
want to honor them in retirement,
and ensure the best
quality of life for them, by
providing assistance with
medical costs, food and end
of duty services. We rely on
donors like you to fund our
project, because there are no
public funds for police and
military working dogs.”
Axel represents these
dogs and is the National
Ambassador of the K9 Project
and travels around the
country with Jason to create
awareness of the program
and help other canines find
homes and to receive funds
to fight illnesses.
According to Johnson,
these dogs are retired from
the government without
benefits of any kind. and relieved
of any financial responsibility
by the government.
He says it is not right
that service dogs that have
saved so many lives are
just let go with the responsibility
of care given to the
new owners. “We can’t let
that happen. They served
our country they need to be
treated just like we treat a
soldier.”
Often the new owners are
not able to afford treatment
for some of the dog’s illnesses
so that is a main reason why
Jason started this business
which in addition to providing
funds for needy canines,
offers a adoption program.,
Jodi Johnson Scholarship.
veterinary school scholarship
applications that can be
found online at https://projectk9hero.
org/k-9-heroes/ .
Johnson is seeking passage
of a bill to help support
the canine cause. Working
with Texas House of Representative
Ron Wright of K9
K-9 Hero "Axel" passing through JFK Airport with handler/owner Jason Johnson, Amanda Bolyard and
National Guard Sgt. Sanchez and Specialist Officer Harriott.
Hero Act HR5081. This bill
will allow for any military
working dog or federal law
enforcement K-9s to seek
services through non-profits
like Project K-9 Hero and
allow an organization such
as K( Hero to take in grant
money to spend specifically
on medical bills for those
dogs. This bill will allocate
$5,000,000 of federal grant
funds each fiscal year from
2021 through 2025.
The public sees these
these specially trained dogs
with the TSA at airports
sniffing passenger lines,
working with narcotic officers,
aiding the Customers
Border Protection looking
for contraband or explosives,
serving with SWAT teams,
being the lead for special
forces overseas and in many
more law enforcement roles.
One never thinks about what
happens to these pups when
their service is over. So,
Johnson and his partner are
establishing a rehabilitation
center and memorial garden
outside of Chattanooga,
Tennessee, where dogs came
come and be cared for before
being adopted. Johnson is
working with companies and
seeking others to sponsor
this facility..
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