08/27/2026
Today, we announce the retirement of a true partner, protector, and member of the Hudson Police Department family. 💙🐾
After recently undergoing surgery to repair a tendon in one of his hind legs, Patrol K9 Jocko will officially retire from service.
K9 Jocko holds a special place in the history of the Hudson Police Department. He was the first police K9 to serve our community in more than four decades, helping usher in a new era for our K9 program.
Jocko was proudly named in honor of Hudson Police Officer John “Jocko” Moore, who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty on June 18, 1955. Throughout his career, Jocko carried that name with pride.
And what a career it has been.
Over the course of his career with the Hudson Police Department, K9 Jocko was deployed more than 200 times. He not only served the Town of Hudson, but also responded to requests from many participating CEMLEC communities and surrounding towns.
Jocko also proved to be a vital asset to the CEMLEC SWAT Team, taking part in dozens of SWAT activations throughout Central Massachusetts.
During those deployments, Jocko helped locate numerous missing people—including children, elderly individuals, people experiencing a mental health crisis, and suspected criminals. He also helped locate contraband, illegal narcotics, weapons, and other evidence connected to criminal investigations.
A police K9 is a force multiplier. Jocko’s abilities gave our officers another valuable tool to safely locate people and evidence, often in situations where time and circumstances mattered most.
But Jocko was more than just an exceptional law enforcement asset.
He was also a face of the Hudson Police Department and a bridge between our department and the community we serve.
Jocko participated in countless demonstrations at local schools, attended many community and town events, and was a familiar and much-loved participant in the Hudson Police Citizen and Youth Academies. For many people—especially young people—Jocko was their first interaction with a police K9 and often a memorable connection with the Hudson Police Department.
Behind every great K9 is an equally dedicated handler, and Jocko found that partner in Sergeant Sam Leandres.
The bond between a handler and a K9 is difficult to put into words. It is built through countless hours of training, long shifts, deployments, trust, and the shared understanding that each depends on the other.
Sgt. Leandres has represented the Hudson Police K9 Program with the highest level of professionalism, dedication, and compassion. The relationship he built with Jocko has been a reflection of everything that makes this program special.
Together, they protected this community. Together, they answered the call when other communities needed them. Together, they represented Hudson with pride.
Jocko gave this community his loyalty, his courage, and his best every day he put on the badge.
Now, it is time for him to enjoy a well-earned retirement. 🐾
Jocko will retire at home with Sgt. Leandres and his family, where we know he will continue to be loved and cared for just as he has throughout his career.
Thank you, Jocko, for protecting our community. Thank you for your service. Thank you for every search, every deployment, every demonstration, and every life you helped make safer. Thank you for being a partner, a protector, and a friend.
We wish you nothing but happiness, comfort, and plenty of well-deserved rest in retirement.
You served Hudson proudly. You served your fellow officers faithfully. And you will always be part of the Hudson Police Department family. 💙🐾
And while we say goodbye to Jocko’s active service, stay tuned… we have some exciting news about the future of the Hudson Police K9 Program coming soon.
Our K9 Program is made possible in large part through the generosity of our community and donations to the Hudson Police Working Dog Foundation. These donations help support our working dogs and can also help with unexpected expenses, including medical emergencies and other costs associated with their care.
If you would like to support our K9s, please click the link to visit the Hudson Police Working Dog Foundation. Every little bit helps.
https://www.hpdworkingdogs.org/
On behalf of all of us at HPD—and especially K9 Jocko, K9 Murf, and K9 Magnus—thank you for your continued support.
Woof! 🐾💙