CLINTON, Ill. — Clinton’s newest police officer has a real nose for fighting crime. Stop by the city’s police department and you could end up nose-to-snout with Charlie. She’s Clinton’s new K-9 Unit, a black Labrador retriever specializing in drug detection. Charlie has been on the beat since Aug. 19.
Charlie is replacing former K-9 Lasko, who was retired last year after an unsuccessful recovery from an ACL tear. “It was sad Lasko couldn’t come back from the knee surgeries,” said Clinton Police Chief Ben Lowers. “Lucky for us, we have generous organizations like Exelon to help ease the financial pain of replacing him. We’re confident Charlie will fill Lasko’s role to rid our community of drugs and have a long career at Clinton PD.”
Charlie is certified in narcotics detection, but she will not be take part in apprehending suspects. She does not bite, but will help police with tracking and article searches. When she is not finding drugs or tracking down bad guys, she will be appearing at local schools and community events.
Exelon contributed $3,000 to purchase the new crime-fighting dog. “We have a great relationship with the City of Clinton and the police department,” said Site Vice President Mark Newcomer. “When we learned of Lasko’s health situation and the department’s need for a new K-9, we were more than happy to help. Donations like this allow Exelon to give back to the community.”
Lasko currently enjoys retirement, living as the family pet of his former handler.
Clinton Power Station is located approximately six miles east of Clinton. At full power, the facility produces 1,078 megawatts of carbon-free electricity, enough to power a million typical American homes.
