K9 Arrow – Gloucester, New Jersey

Died 8/24/23
Handler – Officer Chris Gerace

Gloucester Police Mourn Loss of Veteran K-9 Cop

The Gloucester Township Police Department (GTPD) announced the passing of Retired GTPD K-9 Arrow, a beloved figure in the community, who died on Thursday, August 24.Born on March 8, 2009, K-9 Arrow began his distinguished career with the GTPD in January 2011, working alongside Ptl. Chris Gerace. Both Arrow and Gerace retired in 2019 after years of dedicated service. During his time with the force, K-9 Arrow was trained to detect the scent of six controlled dangerous substances in various environments including vehicles, buildings, and packages. He was responsible for more than sixty drug seizures and arrests, along with many successful tracks of suspects that resulted in numerous apprehensions. K-9 Arrow was not only an accomplished police dog but also a friendly face in the community, frequently starring at public events and making appearances on the GTPD’s social media posts.

Submitted By Jim Cortina

James A. Cortina has been involved with police dogs since 1972 and currently on the Board of Directors for the Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc. Jim has been appointed as Treasurer since its inception in 1991. Jim is one of the charter members of the C.P.W.D.A. organization. Since 1975 he has been a certified professional dog trainer and received his Master Trainer Certification in 1985. During his career he has provided armed K-9 strike crowd control for security agencies in Connecticut and out of state security companies. In conjunction with other members of the Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc. Board of Directors, he helped to draft Connecticut Statute 53-247(e) "Intentional Injury or Killing of Police K-9" which was passed by the Senate in 1993 and also assisted in implementing the prestigious Daniel Wasson Memorial K-9 Award in 1992. In 1993 he helped coordinate the North American Police Work Dog Association Nationals in New London, Connecticut. He was appointed Training Director for the New London County Work Dog Association from 1985-1987. He performed decoy work for Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc. in police K-9 demonstrations, trained several local police department canines, and coordinated training workshops for out-of-state police departments. He participated in the United States Police K-9 Association Trials in Croton on Hudson, New York in 1985 as a decoy. He is an avid photographer and received photography awards in 1989, 1990, and 1991 and currently takes photographs for the Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc.