Pendleton Police Department looks to the skies
By Terry Murry on Wednesday, March 4th, 2026 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
PENDLETON – With the retirement of Pendleton Police K9 Bali, the department decided to explore possibilities for the money that has been invested in its K9 program to be better invested in public safety projects.
Lt. Tony Nelson, who will become chief on April 1, the department has been comparing what a dog brings to policing versus what new technology can offer. About a year ago, they looked into the potential of airborne policing.
“Those are things we’re looking at and what our mission could be based on what our canines used to do and what the new technology can do for us,” Nelson said. “It’s leaning more towards a drone-style program.”
Nelson appreciates what the K9 program has done for the department. He also is interested in what a good drone could bring once it’s launched from a police vehicle anywhere in the area. He mentioned that such technology would be useful in both tracking fleeing subjects and in finding people in need of rescue.
Bali has retired due to medical problems and now resides with the family of K9 Corporal Cass Clark.
