Murrieta honors K9 handler Aaron Harwick with retirement proclamation

Murrieta City presented a proclamation in March 2026 honoring Police K9 handler Aaron Harwick on the occasion of his retirement, city leaders said during a brief ceremony at a council meeting.

The proclamation recounted Harwick’s law-enforcement career, saying he began with the San Diego Police Department in 1999, joined Murrieta in 2006, undertook the specialized role of K9 officer in 2016 and has served on the police officers association board and the department’s peer support team. The text offered “sincere congratulations” and best wishes dated March 2026.

Officer Aaron Harwick accepted the proclamation and thanked the city and command staff for the opportunity to serve. “It has honestly been my pleasure to get to work for this city and to get to work for this police department,” he said, adding that he appreciated earning the department’s trust. He recalled community outreach events such as the annual “Bites and Barbecue,” and encouraged others to try retirement: “Everybody should try retirement. IT’S AWESOME.”

Council members and city leaders who spoke praised Harwick’s service. Councilwoman Warren called his “dedication to our city stellar” and wished him “lots of fun, lots of travel and many more anniversaries.” Councilwoman Forest noted Harwick’s frequent presence with retired K9s and asked after a former dog, Simpson; attendees were told Simpson and another retired dog, Roger, are at home. Councilwoman Stone credited Harwick with contributing to Murrieta’s public safety and noted he is already teaching and training new police dogs. Mayor Pro Tim Holiday recalled meeting Harwick at the Citizens Police Academy and asked him to “make sure you pick the best and send them here.”

City Manager Justin Clifton said Harwick is “revered as an expert” regionally on K9 teams and urged retaining Harwick’s institutional knowledge as he transitions to retirement and canine training roles.

The proclamation text refers to Harwick’s retirement “after 19 years of dedicated service to the city of Murrieta.” The document also lists start dates and a K9 assignment year; those items appear together in the proclamation language presented at the meeting, and the city’s text combines multiple service milestones. The article reports the proclamatory language as read at the meeting and does not reconcile arithmetic between years listed and the stated K9 start date.

The ceremony concluded with applause, photos and brief congratulations from multiple council members. Harwick said he will continue working with police dogs in a training capacity.