Galloway Township's newest officer got an arrest with drugs and a gun on his first shift.
Narco, the four-legged partner of Officer Brent Lopez, was called to a car stop Thursday on Aloe Street, police said.
Officer Cody Trout had stopped a Jeep for driving infractions. But after speaking with the driver, the officer called for Lopez and Narco to investigate further, according to the report.
Narco sniffed the exterior of the Jeep and indicated there were narcotics inside.
A search found 115 wax folds containing heroin, police said. There was also a Glock 19 semi-automatic handgun reported stolen from Atlantic City. It also had a large-capacity magazine.
David P. Parker Jr., 28, of Atlantic City, and Jose Echevarria, 35, of Galloway Township, were charged weapons and drug offenses and are in the Atlantic County Justice Facility pending detention hearings.
Echevarria was just on the court list last week for pending charges.
The Galloway Township Police Department thanked the public for its support as it re-establishes its K-9 Unit.
"Every harmful opiate taken off our streets could potentially save the life of someone in our community," the department said in a statement.
Anyone who needs addiction help is asked to call the department at 609-652-3705 for recovery-related resources in the area. Information is also available through the Atlantic County Sheriff's Office Hope One Program at 609-909-7200.
