New K9 Kennel Dedicated To Slain Bensalem Officer

BENSALEM TOWNSHIP, PA —The Bensalem Township Police Department has dedicated its new K9 kennel to a police officer who was killed in an armed robbery nearly 50 years ago.

During a ceremony Tuesday morning, Bensalem Mayor Joseph DiGirolamo and Public Safety Director William McVey announced naming the kennel after Police Officer James Armstrong.

Officials said that on April 15, 1975, 48 years ago last Saturday, Armstrong was shot and killed as he investigated an armed robbery. His partner, Shep, was also shot that day but he survived.

"We will never forget Jim’s sacrifice and have used his tragedy to help better protect our officers today," the mayor and McVey said in a joint statement about Armstrong, an early member of the Bensalem Police K-9 Unit.

A spare K-9 run in the facility bears the name of Shep, officials said.

Since Armstrong’s death, the Bensalem K-9 Unit has continued to serve this community with distinction with more than 50 police service dogs in the department’s history, the mayor and McVey said.

The current unit is comprised of six working dogs and is commanded by Lt. Mike Schum. They are trained in patrol duties, narcotics detection, and explosive detection.

Some of their work over the past four years includes:

• 200 criminal suspect searches with 59 apprehensions
• Zero K-9 bites in all these apprehensions
• 30 firearms recovered
• 300 narcotic searches
• Thousands of pounds of narcotics seized

This state-of-the-art facility will provide a training space, kennels, outdoor runs, and other amenities for the K-9 unit.

Members of the Armstrong family were present for the ceremony and they were treated to a tour of the facility and a K-9 demonstration. The event was also attended by council members, residents, and police officers.