GREENFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The Greenfield Police Department has a new employee joining the team, K9 Officer Frank “Frankie” Roche Jr.

Frankie will be the newest comfort dog for the police department and received his name in tribute of the late Detective Frank Roche Jr., who served Greenfield from 1974 until his unexpected death in 1998. Roche was the department’s first community policing officer.

Frankie is an 8-week-old Chocolate English Lab and was donated by Peggi and David from Boonefield Labradors. He will be assigned to Officer Llewelyn, the current Community
Resource Officer. Frankie’s job will be to help defuse active behavioral health crises.

Greenfield Mayor Roxann Wedegartner swore in Frankie to the police department alongside Roche’s family and Frankie’s sir K9 Officer Hank from the Lunenburg Police Department. Frankie will be training over the next year. Once he receives his next round of vaccines, the department says you can expect to see him participating in future events.

Care and equipment for Frankie will be funded by donations and through drug offenses forfeitures. If you would like to donate to the comfort dog program, you can mail it to:

“City of Greenfield K-9 Fund” C/o Greenfield Police Department
321 High St.
Greenfield, Mass 01301