By Aleanna Siacon
Detroit Free Press
TROY, Mich. — Welcome to the Troy Police Pawfficer Badges.
After a tight Twitter poll run by the @TroyMI_Police account to name their incoming police cat, it was revealed that the newest member of their department will be called Pawfficer Badges.
Pawfficer Badges won with 40% of the vote, closely trailed by Pawfficer Donut, with 34%, but clawing out other options, Pawfficer Pawla at 18% and Pawfficer Katrina, with 8%.
According the the police department’s Twitter announcement, the Pawfficer’s official duties will include community policing, supervising the K9 unit, and of course, providing cuddles.
The Twitter poll was particularly apropos for naming the police cat.
After all, this story got its start when the department pledged to get a police cat if they could hit 10,000 Twitter followers — a social media milestone they accomplished in just eight days.
https://twitter.com/TroyMI_Police/status/991357411406512130
A kitten was then “booked” for the role of police cat after five felines were brought in by the Michigan Humane Society for an audition.
In a Twitter message to the Free Press, Sgt. Meghan Lehman shared the following statement:
“We love the name. The cat will officially start her duties on May 11. She will be officially appointed to her position by Judge Hartig and Judge McGinnis of 52-4 District Court (our local court). We thank everyone that has supported this initiative, and look forward to getting the cat involved in many community outreach projects in the future.”
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