Santa Rosa Sheriff Comments on K-9 Vest Donation, Navarre Beach Traffic and More
- May 25
- 2 min read
Santa Rosa County, FL (NewsRadio 92.3) -- Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson joined Pensacola's Morning News Monday morning with a Memorial Day weekend update and several other items — including a community donation that is keeping one of his K-9 deputies better protected.
K-9 Gets New Protective Vest
Sheriff's K-9 Dart has a new anti-stab and bulletproof vest — donated by local businesses in Santa Rosa County. Johnson says the community's generosity toward the K-9 unit is something he never takes for granted — noting that local donations have funded not just equipment but entire dogs for the unit. He says the combined anti-stab and bulletproof vest is deployed selectively — put on the dog before sending it into high-risk situations like barricaded suspects — rather than worn on routine patrol due to the heat and weight. He also noted that jail deputies voluntarily wear stab-resistant vests inside the facility since firearms aren't the threat there but improvised weapons are.
Navarre Beach Quiet This Memorial Day
Johnson says Memorial Day weekend at Navarre Beach has been smooth — with mostly families filling the sand and the beach's limited bar scene keeping the larger party crowds headed toward Pensacola Beach and Destin. He says Navarre's traffic has remained consistent year over year — hovering around 38 to 40 days annually hitting the 7,500 car threshold — a stark contrast to Pensacola Beach which hit 20,000 car days 66 times before Labor Day last year. Johnson says the traffic light installed at the bridge approach has improved the flow of traffic even if it hasn't reduced the overall volume.
Deputies Wrangle Loose Cow Near Jay
On the lighter side Johnson confirmed that Santa Rosa deputies near Jay wrangled a loose cow this week after it was struck by a vehicle — noting it happens on a semi-regular basis in that part of the county and the cow came out okay.
