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Died – 12/29/15
Handler – Lt. Zsakhiem James
Beloved Camden County Police Department K9 Passes Away
A beloved Camden County Police Department K9 has died. Officer Zero, the veteran K-9 officer who was Camden’s oldest police dog, passed away Monday night at his home, authorities said. He was 12, Camden County spokesman Dan Keashen said, and died of natural causes. “He is a member of the family of this organization and every night he goes out and takes one for the team,” Chief Scott Thomson said last year when describing the K9 named “Zero.” A German Shepherd who was originally from the Czech Republic, Zero joined the Camden Police Department in 2007. At the time, he was the first K-9 officer on the force in more than a decade. In 2014, On Tuesday morning Zero’s handler, Sgt. Zsakhiem James, brought the dog to the Rothman animal hospital in Collingswood. He was escorted by other Camden officers who saluted their colleague. Zero became a local star in Camden, perhaps best known for his frequent visits to schools and community events, where he was always happy to receive pets and belly rubs from the city’s children. But he was also one of the most active officers on the force. He was trained in bomb detection, and last year broke the state record for suspect apprehensions made by a K-9 officer, more than 65. He has won numerous service dog awards. Officials say that Zero’s most memorable arrest was in 2010 when he sniffed out a suspect who had allegedly stabbed someone in the neck with scissors and was hiding under insulation in a ceiling crawl space inside a home. Zero located him and the suspect attempted to fight him off, then ran out of the house before Zero tackled him. “Zero was more than a K9 officer; he was an ambassador for the Camden County Police Department to the children of Camden. Zero and Lt. James helped build bonds with Camden’s residents and children by doing countless demonstrations together at schools, parks and community events. Everywhere he went in the city, kids recognized Zero and came over to pet him, and his loss will have a great impact on them,” Camden County Officials say. Zero also used his impressive skills to locate missing children and find wondering Alzheimer’s patients. Zero lived with James and his family.
