FREEHOLD – Boy Scout Devin Motani from Troop 101 had a vision when it came to his Eagle Scout project. Since his dad is a police officer in Howell Township, he has always had strong ties to law enforcement, with interest in police dogs and their handlers.
With this in mind, Motani’s Eagle Scout project came to “life,” with a life size K-9 memorial/sculpture built for all to view at the Monmouth County Police Academy.
On July 28, the 17,000 pound sculpture was unveiled, honoring fallen members of law enforcement and K9 teams.
“When Devin approached the Monmouth County Police Academy with his idea, we were touched that he chose to take on a tremendous project to honor the sacrifice and service of all K9s who risk their lives to protect the public,” Sheriff Shaun Golden said. “The project was met with some challenges. Devin had to raise a large sum of money and overcome quite a few obstacles during the pandemic, but he was determined to make it work and complete this incredible endeavor. We are proud of Devin’s exceptional efforts and dedication to the law enforcement community.”
Not only do K9 teams work with explosive and narcotics detection, but they also apprehend suspects, and sometimes make the ultimate sacrifice.
“It is amazing to see the added value that these animals bring to the general public, as well as military and law enforcement agencies around the world. However, I feel they are not always memorialized as well as they should be. K9s put their lives on the line just like police officers do, which is why they deserve to be respectfully memorialized and remembered forever, through the construction of this project,” Motani said.
The concept of the memorial was initially established in 2019. Through Motani’s determination and support from peers, family and the law enforcement community, he was able to push through the COVID-19 pandemic and complete his Eagle Scout project.
Motani raised $22,575 through his GoFundMe page for the project. In total, the project cost $30,015, with 322 hours of service distributed among 28 people.
The memorial is now on display adjacent to the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office memorial for K9 Solo. Solo is German Shepherd who was shot and killed during an attempted apprehension of an individual who was barricaded inside a home in 1998.
