PATERSON — A veteran member of the Paterson Police Department’s Emergency Response Team, Milan the K-9 died Sept. 14, bringing to a close a 10-year career that included narcotics detection, evidence searches and community outreach.
Ten years of patrols and detections
A Belgian Malinois by breed, Milan was 12 when he reached his department “end of watch.” During his time on the force he worked in some of the city’s most troubled neighborhoods and assisted officers on a wide range of calls.
Paterson police spokesman Rob Rowan said Milan’s primary training was in drug detection, and that the dog was deployed frequently in areas of Paterson where narcotics activity was suspected. Among the cases highlighted by the department was an operation in which Milan detected 54 bricks of heroin — reported as the equivalent of more than 800 individual doses packaged together. In another instance in 2018, Milan located a firearm hidden in a patch of grass on the city’s North Side by using human-scent detection skills.
Role within investigations and the community
Rowan noted that Milan’s duties extended beyond narcotics searches. He assisted in locating evidence, recovering firearms and supporting investigations across the department.
“Those examples only scratch the surface of Milan's service to the Paterson Police Department,” Rowan said. “His work was not limited to any one type of call or investigation. He assisted officers in locating evidence, recovering firearms and narcotics, supporting investigations and engaging with members of the community.”
Milan also took part in numerous demonstrations aimed at Paterson’s youth. The department said the dog’s appearances at camps and skill events helped youngsters better understand the work of law enforcement and, in some cases, inspired interest in careers in public safety.
What Milan’s work looked like
- Drug detection: Repeated deployments in neighborhoods with suspected narcotics activity; one major seizure involved 54 heroin bricks.
- Evidence and firearm recovery: Trained in human-scent tracking; located a gun hidden in grass in 2018.
- Community engagement: Participated in youth demonstrations and public events to educate and build trust.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Breed | Belgian Malinois |
| Years of service | 10 |
| Age at death | 12 |
| Notable seizures | 54 bricks of heroin (reported as >800 doses); firearm found on North Side (2018) |
Local impact and context
K-9 teams play a specialized role within Paterson policing, particularly in neighborhoods where narcotics and gun violence are persistent concerns. Milan’s record — highlighted by large narcotics detections and successful scent-tracking recoveries — illustrates how the department deploys canine resources to support investigations and search operations that might otherwise be more time-consuming or dangerous for officers alone.
Beyond operational effects, Milan’s outreach work underscored a softer but important function: connecting police and children in the city. According to the department, demonstrations and appearances at youth programs allowed officers to explain their work and for many youngsters to see law enforcement in a different light.
The department has not released plans for replacing Milan on the Emergency Response Team. For now, officials and fellow officers remember the dog for a decade of service that combined frontline investigative assistance with regular community engagement.
Paterson residents who relied on the department’s K-9 unit through searches and public events will likely recall Milan’s contributions in both arenas: as a tool for investigations and a presence in neighborhood outreach.
