Video: Provo mayor takes on police dog

Demonstration • Police hope City Council will fund 2 dogs for department.

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Provo Mayor John Curtis was attacked by a police dog Tuesday, but he asked for it.

Provo police want the City Council to spring for two K-9 dogs, and as part of a presentation to show council members what the dogs can do, Curtis wore a bite suit and played the role of a suspect.

Councilwoman Sherrie Hall Everett figured a demonstration would be a good way to show council members how effective police dogs can be.

The dogs in the demonstration were from Utah County Sheriff's Office, which has eight dogs. Provo has none.

"We give police officers Tasers, we give them spray, we give them guns. Why not give them a dog that can do something more safely for not only the suspect, but also the officer?" Everett said.

Officers from Utah County Sheriff's Office brought two of their eight dogs along to show how dogs can detect drugs and apprehend a suspect.

Provo City Council is expected to vote on a final budget by next month.

cimaron@sltrib.com

Twitter: @CimCity