How new Warrington K-9 unit aims to continue legacy of fallen officer

Last May, the Warrington community was devastated by the death of a K-9 officer following a sudden cardiac event.

The death of Stephen Plum Jr., 38, and retirement of his K-9 companion, Murphy, left a hole in the township police department and the community. It came less than two months after Hatboro K-9 Officer Ryan Allen, Plum's friend, died of a traumatic brain injury.

Earlier this year, with donations from the community, the Warrington department secured a new dog, K-9 Abby, and gave its responsibilities to Officer Corey Fox, who will be continuing the efforts led by Plum years earlier.

“He would be very honored to see them keeping the unit alive," Plum's wife, Nancy Plum, said.

Plum pushed for the K-9, which became a success

Stephen Plum had always wanted to be a K-9 officer, and made getting a police dog a priority after joining Warrington’s department.

The dogs can be used for detecting drugs or explosives, or tracking suspects or missing people, but are also great tool to interact with the community, according to Chief Daniel Friel.

Stephen and Nancy Plum helped with fundraising efforts, and in 2018, the department secured two dogs, one for explosive detection, K-9 Jolie, and Murphy, used to detect narcotics.

“It really transformed our department,” Friel said.

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It wasn't long after her husband’s death that Nancy Plum told the department they should continue the K-9 unit.

Officer Fox steps up to be a K-9 officer

Fox, who was hired in 2019, used to be a K-9 officer with SEPTA police and had met Stephen Plum at a K-9 training before Fox was hired by Warrington.

He always enjoyed being a K-9 officer at SEPTA, and he wanted to continue doing that work someday.

“That bond is special and its exciting, it’s fun," Fox said.

Fox is not replacing Plum, but continuing where he left off, including getting involved in community events and fundraising efforts.

“All that stuff is something I wanted to carry on," he said.

Warrington police purchased Abby, a 14-month-old Dutch Shepard, from Penn Vet Working Dogs in Philadelphia. Friel said the department wants dogs that are good at their jobs but are also friendly and can interact with members of the community.

“We felt like Abby was the one who bonded the best with (Fox)" Friel said.

Fox and Abby are in scent training, and will do narcotics training in the fall. The two will be on limited duty until both trainings are completed.

Community embraces Warrington's K-9 unit

Before the unit started, Stephen and Nancy Plum helped raise funds, all from the community, to kickstart the program. The initial response from the community was overwhelming.

“I don’t think you can have a better example of the buy-in," Nancy Plum said.

The unit has its own dedicated Facebook page, which has nearly 6,000 followers.

At the start of the pandemic, Plum and Murphy would read kids books on video to engage with the community during social-distancing protocols. The videos had thousands of views.

“It’s really been just a great tool to interact with our community," said Warrington Sgt. Jessica Bloomingdale, who runs the Facebook page.

With the Facebook page, the unit has fans beyond Warrington’s borders.

The department sells merchandise and does fundraisers, such as the yearly car show, to maintain the unit. All three dogs the department has had were purchased through donated funds.

“It’s been totally amazing," Nancy Plum said of the support.

Seeing the dogs in action, Fox said, shows residents the money donated is not going to waste.

“They’re being put to good use," he said.

Inside the department, officers enjoy having the dog companions roaming the hallways. Murphy, now retired, even makes stops by the department or businesses in the community.

She's hoping the same will happen with Fox and Abby.

“I’m looking forward to watching Corey and Abby grow as a team," Bloomingdale said.

That is something Fox hopes happens as well.

“To be able to keep the unit alive and keep Steve’s memory within the unit was the number one goal," Fox said.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: New Warrington K-9: Fallen officer's legacy lives on with new officer