Group gives welcome boost to Seattle police on the beat

Kaiser the police dog made two laps around a darkened printing plant, stopped in front of a blue metal bin, stood on his hind legs and started barking.

Out from under recycled paper in the bin emerged the "bad guy," in this case, Trung Nguyen, a patrol officer from the North Precinct taking part in Kaiser's training.

Kaiser is one of the first purchases made possible by the Seattle Police Foundation, a group founded in January 2002 to pay for projects that normally don't fit into the Seattle Police Department's budget. The foundation gave the police $5,000 to buy Kaiser, who was bred for police work.

"Up to now, most of our dogs have been donated," said Jon Enerick, trainer for the Police Department's canine unit. "We've gotten some great dogs that way, but sometimes we get dogs that we train for months that just don't work out. Buying specially bred dogs is a much more efficient use of our time."

After a year and a half of planning and fund raising, donations to the Seattle Police Foundation are beginning to make a difference to officers on the streets. The SWAT team has ordered high-powered lights, thanks to $3,500 from the foundation.

A $10,000 grant from the foundation recently allowed the dive unit to buy individually fitted face masks with lights built in.

"Our waters are so dark and the visibility is so low, this will make it much safer for divers to communicate with one another," said Linda Pierce, captain of the department's metropolitan section, which operates the canine, mounted, SWAT, harbor and gang units.

The idea for the police foundation began with Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske, who started a similar organization when he was chief of the Buffalo, N.Y., police force. He wanted a group, independent of the Police Department, that could recognize officers for outstanding service and raise money for special police projects.

"At least once a week we have someone call up and say, 'A police officer helped me, and I wanted to say thank you and make a donation,' " Kerlikowske said. "But we didn't have a way to accept donations. By setting up an independent foundation, we make it much easier for people to help."

Kerlikowske recruited former Mayor Wes Uhlman to organize the group.

"There's just a whole host of small things that are impossible to get public funds for," said Uhlman, who co-chairs the foundation.

The foundation raised $135,000 in October at its first fund-raiser, and it donated $67,000 in its first round of grants, said Renee Cunningham, a planning specialist for the Police Department and staff member for the foundation.

A $5,000 donation went to the Seattle Explorer post, a youth-outreach program that operates day camps and helps the department recruit young officers.

Another grant will help train the department's new managers to plan budgets and manage people as part of the University of Washington's Certificate in Police Administration program.

"We've never had formal training for managers on those things," Cunningham said.

The chief also wanted a more public way to recognize police officers. The foundation helped by turning its fund-raiser into an annual awards banquet.

"Before this, we had an awards function that was literally cookies and warm lemonade," Kerlikowske said.

The foundation's second annual fund-raiser will be held Oct. 30 at the Westin Hotel in downtown Seattle. Tickets cost $100 apiece, and board members hope to raise between $175,000 and $200,000.

Chris Maag: 206-464-8450 or cmaag@seattletimes.com