National Police Week 2009 is from May 10 - May 16 and the Valparaiso Police Department is having a couple of fundraisers and community contact events to celebrate!
First on May 15th from 3:00pm to 7:00pm, the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #76 is having a Nelson's Chicken fundraiser at the Valparaiso Police Department (355 Washington St.) Nelson's will be bringing their famous port-a-pit to roast chickens in the police department parking lot. Officers will be handing out the chickens being cooked by Nelson's chef. Officers began pre-selling tickets at the beginning of April for a freshly roasted half chicken ready to be taken home. There will also be chickens available for walk up orders. Price is $7.00 per half chicken.
The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #76 is involved in many ways in our community. The Lodge has recently been involved in sponsorship of the Valparaiso Soapbox Derby and a Little League team at Valparaiso American's Field. The Lodge is looking forward to their annual food basket drive in the fall, which helps feed needy families in our city.
Second on May 16th from 10:00am to 8:00pm, Valparaiso K-9 officers will be on hand at Culver's (2101 Laporte Ave. on the roundabout). Culver's has generously offered 10% of their profits from May 16th to assist with funding for the Valparaiso Police Department K-9 program.
All of the dogs are trained in narcotic detection and tracking. Each K-9 team participates in numerous weeks of training throughout each year. Since the establishment of the program, the K-9 teams have contributed to numerous narcotic arrests and apprehension of subjects through their tracking skills. Each K-9 is a sworn member of the police department and lives with the officer and their family. Constant attention is given to the health and care of the department’s dogs.
The VPD looks forward to spending time with the citizens of our city and building a stronger bond with our community. We hope our efforts will help make a positive impact around us both on and off duty!