CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Police Department is holding a “Tip-A-Cop” fundraiser this Friday, June 22, to support its K9 program.

The benefit event will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Main Street Bar and Grill, 14084 Lakeshore Drive.

During the event, officers and volunteers from the Clearlake Police Department will be taking food orders, serving food, busing tables and answering questions about the police departments K-9 Program.

There also will be K-9 Supporter shirts available for purchase at the event.

All tips and proceeds from the event will go directly to the K-9 program as the program is funded 100-percent by donations.

No city funds are used to fund the Police K-9 Program, which includes any training courses, maintaining or feeding the police dogs, purchasing any K-9 equipment or the police K-9 itself.

The Clearlake Police Departments K-9 Program started in 2010 when Officer Michael Carpenter was appointed to K-9 handler and received his new K-9 Partner “Dex.”

To date, Officer Carpenter and Dex completed the five week K-9 Handler Course, and are currently in the five week Narcotics Detection Course.

In 2012, Officer Michael Ray was selected to the position of K-9 Handler after an intensive testing process.

A candidate police dog has been selected and Officer Ray and that dog will be attending the K-9 Handler Course at the end of this month.

Upon completing the handler course, Officer Ray and the candidate Police K-9 dog will go straight to the streets. Officer Ray and his police dog will attend the 2013 Narcotics Detection Course.

On average, a five week K-9 Training course for an officer and his K-9 partner costs approximately $8,000, the department reported. This covers the cost of the training class, lodging, meals and transportation expenses.

With the addition of the second police dog, this allows there to be two police dogs on duty in the city of Clearlake seven days a week. Both police dogs will be able to apprehend violent offenders, search and locate violent fleeing offenders and conduct article searches.

With Officer Carpenter and Dex completing the Narcotics Detection Course, this will mean the city will have a drug detecting dog on duty.

Officer Carpenter and Dex will be called on upon to assist in searches when narcotics are believed to be concealed in vehicles, residences, or on probation and parole searches.

The Clearlake Police Department and the officers of the K-9 Program offered their thanks to Sam Polo from Main Street Bar & Grill for his and his staff's continued support to the department.