ATLANTA, Georgia (First News Atlanta) – The Atlanta Braves have added a new player to their security roster as baseball season approaches.
On opening day, K9 Champ will start policing Truist Park and The Battery. He will take over for K9 Lazer of Cobb Police, who is retiring.
Champ was acquired by the Braves for the Cobb County Police Department. He is advocating for a $10,000 investment in public safety.
The Braves also acquired K9 Brave a long time ago, and she will accompany Champ on patrol. Both have explosives detection training, and Cobb Police claim they can distinguish between around thirty distinct scents. According to Cobb Police K9 Commander Lt. Mark Blakeney, the dogs monitor the stadium, the surrounding area, including any garbage cans where someone would try to conceal a weapon or explosives.
“I believe that people’s minds are eased just by seeing us here. Although we don’t always detect bombs, Lt. Blakeney stated, “We don’t know how much we’re deterring just by our presence here.”
The Battery’s chief of security is Dale Bolenbaugh. According to him, K9s are a priceless tool with abilities that their human handlers lack.
“They are able to smell things that people cannot. They are most helpful when I can’t approach a bag and tell you there might be explosives inside of it, Bolenbaugh stated. “We have an amazing partnership with Cobb PD, which helps us secure this enormous property for our guests and fans. Without them, it would be impossible to do so.”
According to Cobb Police, the MLB Allstar game, which is scheduled to return to Atlanta in 2019, will also see the K9s patrol the grounds. They will also be utilized for other major events held at The Battery, such as concerts.