Oregon Police Department Changes Name Of K9 ‘Lil’ Kim’ After Black Rights Activist Complains
After several complaints by a Black rights activist, an Oregon police department is now changing the name of its Belgian Malinois shepherd K9, “Lil’ Kim.” Lil’ Kim, who has the same moniker as the legendary, Grammy Award-winning and Brooklyn-born raptress, has been a member of the Bend Police Department and has been long-referred to as such. Additionally, the K9, who’s real name is Kim, is a “rockstar suspect apprehension dog” and recently celebrated her 6th birthday.
However, Riccardo Waites, who is the founder of the Central Oregon Black Leaders Assembly, has recently complained about the K9’s name to Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz in numerous emails and a follow-up meeting just last week. Waites said in a video, “It’s a little tiny black dog, K9 dog, that the police call ‘Lil’ Kim.’ If you’re a person of color, or if you’re a fan of Lil’ Kim, you know her significance in Hip Hop. You also know that she’s a gangster rapper. Just to be honest, I don’t want to see Lil’ Kim out there biting people of color. While it may appear a small or inconsequential matter to some, it is not to those of us who remember how police dogs were used against peacefully protesting civil rights workers and People of Color in the 1960s and are still used as a means of crowd control and intimidation today.”
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Moving forward, Krantz said the department will now refer to the K9 as just Kim. He said, “We addressed it previously, internally, and the dog’s name is Kim. Although the dog is not named after a musician, it’s important to recognize that some people may assume that or believe that. I think in the eyes of some community members there is a connection historically to the use of dogs, specifically on protestors and Black community members, and that, that could bring a fear of canines.”
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Bend PD K9 Kim (aka Lil’ Kim as she is little but mighty) is turning 6!
K9 Kim is a Belgian Malinois who is a rockstar…
Posted by City of Bend Police Department on Friday, January 29, 2021