Editor's Note: After the Mount Vernon News published a story Sept. 25 on a grant funding an additional K-9 unit, Danville Police Chief Daniel J. Weckesser issued this clarification via the department's Facebook page:

In part, the article said, “The dog will be partnered with an officer and go through a six-week training course to detect illegal drugs, look for missing persons and items, and attack criminals.”

“Chief Weckesser wants you to know that our K-9s are professionally trained along with a police officer to respond precisely to all the commands of the officer. Those commands do not include a command to 'attack criminals.' Should the K-9 be needed to aid in the apprehension or location of a missing individual, the officer gives the K-9 a specific command to deploy. In the case of a fleeing criminal, the K-9 is trained to apprehend the individual, not 'attack' the criminal. Should the criminal surrender prior to the K-9 making contact, the officer gives the command for the K-9 to immediately return to the officer without contacting the criminal.

"Chief Weckesser wants everyone to have confidence in our K-9 units that they are fully trained and that after a new K-9 is certified and is assigned to patrol, continued training takes place, and recertification is mandatory once a year. That recertification includes the officer must successfully demonstrate that the K-9 obeys all commands of the officer.”