Elementary students buy Nappanee Police K9 Bane a ballistic vest

Wakarusa Elementary students presented Nappanee Police K-9 officer Bane with a ballistic vest to keep him safe during patrols during a special ceremony on Thursday.

K9 Bane and his handler Sgt. Casey Livengood visited the second grade class earlier in the school year to give a demonstration on how K-9s help police. When students learned Bane didn't have a vest of his own, they wanted to help.

The class sent a handwritten letter to Nappanee Police Chief Steve Rulli asking if Bane could get a vest if they raised enough money by doing household chores.

"The dog is such a valuable tool for us. He can cover so much ground, he can go places, he's usually put in first in most dangerous situations. You know, they did do their research on how many police dogs die in the line of duty so it's important for him to have the tools that we have," Chief Rulli said.

The class raised over $500 for Bane's vest. 

"One demo just turned into something that they felt like they needed to help out our whole department because he is a big part of our department so it means a lot," Livengood said.

It was presented to Bane and Livengood on Thursday.