It was an emotional council meeting Monday night, as the police department's K-9 unit was recognized for its accomplishment at a national competition and a son officially joined his father as a township police officer.

The K-9 unit placed second as a team at the 2010 United States Police Canine Association National Field Trials in Hammond, LA, in early November.

It was a bittersweet night for many in attendance, particularly K-9 Cpl. Mark Pickard, whose dog, "Schultz," was killed Nov. 30 when hit by a car while attempting to apprehend a robbery suspect on Route 42, in Blackwood. (Read a letter from Pickard at http://patch.com/A-dkFd.)

Pickard and "Schultz" finished 10th out of 105 teams in the competition, while K-9 Cpl. Jim Kaelin and K-9 "Brutus" finished 18th.

Gloucester Township's K-9 unit was one of only two in the competition to place two K-9 teams in the top 20. The other was St. Paul, MN.

Police Chief W. Harry Earle presented an award plaque from the U.S. Police Canine Association to Pickard, Kaelin and K-9 Officer James Clark, who is K-9 "Nero's" handler.

The officers do not take all the credit for their second-place finish in the national competition, and that much was evident Monday night.

"I assure you that finishing second in the nation was no easy task, and we were able to accomplish this through two men who are here tonight—retired (police) chief from Stafford Township Tommy Conroy and world-renowned civilian dog trainer and competitor John Soares," Clark said.

The K-9 unit presented the duo with plaques of appreciation.

Soares is a township resident. He owns Chews Landing Road's Happy Dogs Boarding and Training. 

Each dog-and-handler team trained 400 hours for the competition. The training and competition costs were funded for the local participants through $7,000 in donations, Earle said.

"I know that we have an even greater reason to continue to expand our K-9 unit and improve our K-9 unit. So, thank you for the dedication and the countless hours that you put into the K-9 unit and improving public safety in Gloucester Township," Mayor David Mayer said.

Police recently announced plans to replace "Schultz" and add a fourth dog to the K-9 unit in coming weeks. The township has now taken in more than $70,000 in donations to the "K-9 'Schultz' Memorial Fund," including a $1,000 contribution by Gloucester Township Rotary Monday night.

In other police-related news from Monday's meeting:

* Ptl. Matthew Crabtree was officially sworn in as a township police officer to begin Monday night's meeting. He was joined by his father, Sgt. Chris Crabtree; his sister, Nicole, who held the Bible for his oath; and his mother, Judy.

Crabtree graduated from Camden County Police Academy Nov. 19.

He previously served the township as a part-time police officer and as a police dispatcher.

"Matthew's invitation for graduating from the police academy was a picture of him when he was 10 years old in the police cruiser front seat of his father's car, and I'm sure this is a very proud day for the Crabtree family," Earle said.

* Mayer presented police Community Relations Bureau Sgt. Brendan Barton and Cpl. Sean Grannan with a National Night Out plaque recognizing the township's first-place finish in the state.

The township's National Night Out event, held Aug. 3, garnered the most participation of New Jersey municipalities of 50,000 to 99,000 residents.

The township finished 36th nationally.

"I challenged them last year," Mayer said. "I think last year they were 25th in New Jersey and now they're No. 1, so I guess it's No. 1 in the nation next year. But we keep raising the bar here in Gloucester Township."

* Police also presented Don Maloney, owner of DGM Custom Metal Finishing, of Philadelphia, with a plaque thanking him for volunteering to re-finish the honor guard's rifles.

The M1 Garand rifles were provided to police by the U.S. Army four years ago, according to Earle. They were used in World War II.

"They were most recently utilized at the K-9 'Schultz' memorial gun salute, firing blanks, of course," Earle said.