K9 Marko – Graham, Texas

Died – 7/19/17
1st Handler – Deputy Devin Wright
2nd Handler – Officer Austin Lawrence

Graham Police Department mourning loss of K9 Officer

On July 19, 2017, Marko, a 7 year old German Shepard and K9 officer was lost due to complications from medical conditions affecting in particular, his spleen. Marko was a dual purpose canine, who joined the Graham Police Department in 2010 serving with two handlers during his career. Marko was used for narcotics detection and tracking. Marko was popular with adults and children, due to his friendly demeanor and dynamic personality, and he participated in numerous crime prevention programs, public forums, and demonstrations of how police canines can make a positive impact on their community. Marko had the distinction of being the first Police Canine Officer of the Graham Police Department, assisting in approximately 200 investigations or calls for assistance during his service to the communities of Graham, Olney, and Young County. Marko’s career with the Graham Police Department was made possible by donations from the community and the efforts of the Graham Citizen’s Police Department Auxiliary. In 2009 and 2010, citizens raised in private donations and fundraising events over $53,000.00 to purchase the canine and vehicle.Marko served with distinction, always passing required testing and achieving accreditation with the National Narcotic Drug Detector Dog Association. Marko has stood and remains to stand as a symbol of this community’s effort to rid our neighborhoods of drugs and crime. Every time Marko alerted to the presence of drugs, he potentially saved the life of a member of our community. His service will never be forgotten and he will be sorely missed by us all. The Department’s flag will stand at half-mast in his honor.

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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.
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