West Windsor honors police officers and mourns retired K‑9 Hodge at Sept. 8 council meeting

West Windsor Township Council on Sept. 8 recognized a string of police awards and memorialized a recently deceased retired narcotics dog, K‑9 Hodge, during a ceremonial segment of the council meeting. Chief Garafolo led the presentation and listed case outcomes, individual acts of bravery and longtime service that prompted the honors. The council meeting was held at the West Windsor Township Municipal Building.

The chief opened the remarks on a somber note about the department’s retired narcotics canine, saying, “He was more than just a dog with a badge.” Chief Garafolo told the council that Sergeant Frank Zicca was forced to euthanize Hodge after a sudden decline; Hodge had joined the department in April 2019 and retired Jan. 1, 2025. The chief credited the dog with helping locate large drug seizures — including, he said, a kilo of cocaine and a later connection to fentanyl and cocaine distribution investigations — and recounted, “From start to finish, Hodge located 87 bricks of heroin across multiple cases.”

Why this matters: the awards program emphasized both community policing and specialized capabilities the department now relies on, including narcotics canines and drones. Chief Garafolo described Hodge as one of the state’s few narcotics dogs not trained on marijuana — a choice the department made before adult‑use legalization — which, he said, allowed Hodge to remain operational statewide while some other dogs were retired.

Most important facts: Chief Garafolo presented medals and commendations to investigators, patrol officers and civilian staff for work on a homicide investigation, a large coordinated search that found a missing resident with dementia, a volatile suicidal‑subject call resolved by de‑escalation, and other incidents. The chief described a homicide case in which detectives identified and arrested a suspect less than 24 hours after the August 2, 2023 incident, and he singled out Detective Lieutenant Jason Jones and Sergeant Eric Woodrow among those honored. He also recounted a Dec. 8, 2024 search that located a missing woman in freezing conditions; the chief credited drone and K‑9 teams for locating the woman with only minor injuries and said coordinated work “safeguarded a valuable member of our community.”

The council also presented a medal of distinction to officers involved in an Aug. 3, 2025 incident in which officers engaged a suicidal, armed man for more than an hour and the subject eventually surrendered peacefully after de‑escalation. Chief Garafolo said that Lieutenant Jeff Lai, Sergeant Carlos Abade and Patrolman Mark Thompson (not present) were being honored for their roles.

Civilian recognition: Dispatcher David Barberich received a meritorious service award for more than three decades of service to the department. The chief described Barberich’s work as “essential to keeping our agency running smoothly and our residents safe,” and highlighted his role in technology upgrades, training and continuous availability for 911 operations.

A civilian who rescued a driver from a burning vehicle was also honored. The chief introduced Abraham (sometimes transcribed as Ibrahim) Diallo, who, the chief said, traveled from Georgia to accept an award for pulling a disoriented driver to safety after a crash on Aug. 8, 2025.

Voices from the dais and public: Multiple council members praised the department and the honorees during remarks later in the meeting. Council members also noted the department’s use of drones and other technology as investments that have produced results; the mayor and council were thanked by the chief for prior approvals that enabled the department to expand its capabilities.

Discussion vs. action: the ceremonial presentations were made for recognition; there were no ordinances, contracts or votes tied to the awards during the meeting. Council members used the ceremonial moment to praise department accomplishments and to note community events where the department’s work had impact beyond township borders.

What’s next: the council did not record any follow‑up formal actions tied to the awards in the meeting minutes beyond the presentations themselves. The chief asked for a moment of silence for K‑9 Hodge and emphasized the bond between handlers and canine partners.

Ending note: the awards segment highlighted both day‑to‑day community policing and specialized investigative work. Several council members used their remarks to urge residents to support department initiatives and to attend upcoming community events where the department will participate.