City Municipal Complex Hosts Hotsinpiller Foundation Distribution of K-9 Drug Detection Kits for Police
By Connect-Bridgeport Staff on March 28, 2026
A powerful day for the Hotsinpiller Foundation occurred this past Saturday as part of its ongoing mission to encourage, support, and honor law enforcement. The foundation hosted its second round of K-9 drug detection kit distributions at Bridgeport Municipal Complex. 
These kits are powerful training tools for K-9 teams to effectively and safely prepare for their ongoing task of combating narcotics trafficking and drug use. The kits are infused with the scent of narcotics without actually containing the narcotics themselves. This prevents unintended exposure while letting the teams practice their detection skills.
According to Deputy Chief Shane Boggs of the Richwood Police Department, “The kits have been an amazing tool for training that our department could not afford without the foundation. Prior to having a K9 in our city, we had more than a dozen overdoses a month. In the last nine months, we’ve had three reported overdoses. The kits keep the K9 program well-trained to keep these numbers low. Having the tools to train the K-
9 unit is how you have well-trained dogs, and your foundation has been a vital part of that change.”
9 unit is how you have well-trained dogs, and your foundation has been a vital part of that change.”
As part of the event, a demonstration of the effectiveness of a well-trained team was held in the Bridgeport City Hall parking lot. The exercise was conducted by Deputy King, Deputy Kraemer, and K-9 Voodoo from the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office. Voodoo proved exceptional in his work and quickly located the concealed contraband.
The first round of donations provided by the Hotsinpiller Foundation found homes in sixteen counties across West Virginia. This time K-9 Advocates provided four detection kits to add to the Hotsinpiller Foundation’s twelve kits for a total of sixteen distributed across the state, which included thirteen new counties and a second kit for counties with higher drug incident rates and as such, have more K-9 teams.
“We are excited to be able to help officers and K-9s across our state and region. In addition to our scholarship awards and grant program for fallen and injured officers, an important part of our mission is to assist agencies in keeping our communities and citizens safe by providing additional resources, equipment, and training. These kits are an invaluable training aid for K9s and their officer partners,” stated Ashley Hotsinpiller, race director of the Derek Hotsinpiller Fallen Stars 5K.
This latest distribution of K-9 drug detection kits is a testament to what is possible when a community transforms grief into a proactive force for good. By putting these critical tools into the hands of K-9 teams across nearly thirty West Virginia counties, the Hotsinpiller Foundation is doing more than honoring the memory of Derek and Jim Hotsinpiler. It is actively improving the safety of our neighborhoods and the officers who protect them.
As these teams return to their respective communities better equipped and more effectively trained, the ripple effect of the Hotsinpiller Foundation’s mission continues to grow, proving that through shared effort and unwavering support, we can build a safer future for all.
Editor's Note: Top photo shows members of the Hotsinpiller Foundation who are doing good work statewide at the local level for law enforcement. Bottom photo shows one of the recipients of the K-9 Drug Detection Kits.
