ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — The Rock Island Police Department is adding a new member to its ranks, and the department wants your help naming their new recruit.
The department's new officer is a male, 14-month-old Belgian-Malinois and German Shepard mix.
The K-9 will replace former K-9 Sparky Jackson, who passed away unexpectedly following an emergency medical procedure in September.
Rock Island Police Officer Alex Bowman will serve as the K-9 handler and complete 10 weeks of training with the dog. But before he can head off to training, the K-9 needs a name.
Members of the public can submit their ideas for the K-9's name in the comments section of upcoming posts about the naming contest from the police department's and the City's Facebook pages.
Names can be suggested until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 6. After that, members of the police department will vote on their favorite name, and that name will be announced during the Rock Island City Council meeting on Monday, March 11.
Watch more news, weather and sports on News 8's YouTube channel