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In Putnam County, the Carmel Police Department's new K-9 officer, Pietro, is named after Officer Gary Pietropaolo, who was killed in an off-duty motorcycle crash on June 7, 2018, according to police.
Pietropaolo was known for his passion for his job and serving his community, and would often brighten the spirits of his fellow officers when he would come in at shift change, police said.
"We would hear the door slam, feel a whoosh of air as it passed us in the hall and say to each other, 'Gary’s here.' He would literally RUN into the building," Carmel Police officers said.
Since Pietropaolo's death, the department has hired many young officers that are similarly full of enthusiasm, and one of them, Officer Vincent DeSantola, aspired to restart the department's K-9 unit, according to police.
When Pietropaolo's father, retired Yonkers Sargeant Gary Pietropaolo Sr., heard about DeSantola's goal to restart the K-9 unit, he decided to help out and guide the young officer through the process, and even helped him pick out a dog, police said.
Now, the dog who was selected, Pietro, is poised to start in the department on Wednesday, Dec. 14, according to Carmel Police.
"Pietro is looking forward to meeting you all," Carmel Police said.
Residents can follow Pietro's adventures by following his Instagram account, K9_Pietro.
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