Today, Assemblymember Monica Wallace (D-Lancaster) announced she has secured $50,000 in state funding for the Cheektowaga Police Department for officer wellness programs and the department’s first therapy dog. CPD joins a growing list of local police departments that have begun utilizing therapy dogs to raise the spirits of law enforcement personnel, improve the well-being of students at local schools, and help crime victims cope with traumatic experiences. Researchers say the presence of therapy dogs reduces blood pressure, heart rate, and stress levels.

CPD’s new therapy dog, Davey, is a four-month-old mixed-breed rescue from the Erie County SPCA, and his presence with the department was made possible thanks to $20,000 in state funding secured by Assemblymember Wallace. Davey is working with Cheektowaga Police Officer Jacob Gawronski to become a certified therapy dog and will visit students in local schools, assist crime victims, and help officers, dispatchers, and civilian staff with the stressors they experience on the job.

Davey is named after CPD officer David Tolsma, who died heroically in the line of duty while responding to a robbery in 1977.

Assemblymember Wallace also secured $30,000 for a wellness program to ensure every CPD officer has access to a licensed mental health clinician who is vetted and approved for working with the unique challenges of law enforcement personnel. Police officers and public safety dispatchers are often exposed to trauma through the course of their work, which can lead to adverse mental health outcomes if left unchecked.

“Law enforcement is a noble career but also one that is often dangerous, stressful, and traumatizing. That’s why we need to ensure law enforcement have access to both mental health professionals and resources like therapy dogs to improve their mental well-being,” said Assemblymember Wallace. “Davey is just adorable, a cute and well-behaved puppy who immediately fills a room with joy. I’m glad I was able to secure funding so that CPD officers, local students, and crime victims can receive comfort from Davey on their worst days.”

“The Cheektowaga Police Department is invested in the wellness of our community and of our officers,” said Cheektowaga Police Department Chief Brian Coons. “With the assistance of funding provided by Assemblymember Wallace, Cheektowaga Police Department is excited to launch the new therapy dog program and provide annual wellness checks to every officer and dispatcher in the department to lessen the effects of trauma and stress. This funding allows our department to implement programs designed around the four pillars of wellness: physical, mental, family, and work-related wellness.”

Assemblymember Wallace has secured significant resources for local law enforcement and mental health throughout her time in office. She has secured $150,000 toward the construction of the new CPD training facility and monument to fallen officers, $17,500 to help CPD launch a drug diversion and treatment program, and $75,000 to launch the law enforcement pilot program at the Cheektowaga Central School District to improve CPD recruitment and diversity. Assemblymember Wallace also secured funding for the Depew and Lancaster police departments to purchase body cameras, the latter of which received funding through a $10 million state fund for such equipment that she helped pass. In addition, Assemblymember Wallace helped approve significant statewide funding for law enforcement to crack down on gun violence and retail crime, as well as helped pass an unprecedented $1 billion investment in mental health and additional resources to make treatment more accessible for young people and veterans.