MORRIS COUNTY, NJ – The Morris County Sheriff’s Office and Sheriff James M. Gannon are proud to introduce two new K-9 officers.
Their first K-9 is K-9 Leo. He is a male German Shepherd/Malinois mix born September 20, 2022. He is 11 months old, from Holland, and purchased through Upstate K-9, out of New York. K-9 Leo will be trained as a dual purpose K-9 in patrol and narcotics detection.
K-9 Leo has been named in honor of Leon Bradford, the first Chief of the former Morris County Park Police. Chief Bradford served in the US Navy during WWII and retired as Chief of the Morris County Park Police. He was a member of the Morris County Chiefs of Police Association, New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Fraternal Order of Police. Chief Bradford the first Chief of the Morris County Park Police in their inception in 1962. Chief Bradford passed away on July 12, 2014.
Their second K-9 is K-9 Abbi. She is a female Belgian Malinois born October 02, 2021. She is 22 months old, from Holland, and purchased through Upstate K-9, out of New York. K-9 Abbi will begin her training as a dual purpose K-9 in patrol and narcotics detection right away.
K-9 Abbi has been named in honor of past Morris County Park Police Detective Sergeant Timothy P. Abline. Detective Sergeant Abline was employed by the County of Morris for 26 years. He started his career in the Morris County Sheriff’s Office as a senior communications operator, studied criminology at Fairleigh Dickinson University and graduated from the Passaic County Police Training Academy in 1998. During his career with the Park Police, he received numerous service awards and citations, including graduating from the West Point Command and Leadership Program.
Detective Sergeant Abline also established the annual Morris County Toy Drive dubbed “Saddle Up for Toys”. This annual toy collection began in 2002 and is held each year during the holiday season. This toy drive has grown into a major annual donation program in Morris County. Detective Sergeant Abline passed away on September 11, 2011.
“Anytime we have new additions starting their career here at the Sheriff’s Office it is exciting. These two K-9 partners are exceptionally special, not just because they wear fur coats, but because we bring them into dedicated service in honor of two great Morris County law enforcement officers. I knew Chief and Timmy and was very fond of both. K-9 Abbi and K-9 Leo will continue to remind us of the professional connections we all have shared, and still do share, in service to the people of Morris County. I look forward to proudly proclaiming their future successes to you,” Gannon said.
