Evesham Township resident and Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office Det. Sgt. Edward Zubrzycki passed away on May 7 at the age of 43, leaving behind his wife and four young children.
With that tragedy still in mind, the Evesham Police Department announced the name of the newest member of its K9 Unit — a name Evesham Police Chief Christopher Chew said will carry on the legacy of a great person and friend of the department.
At the Sept. 22 meeting of the Evesham Township Council, with Zubrzycki’s family, friends and colleagues in attendance, Chew introduced the public to “EZ,” a 16-month-old German Shepherd raised in the Netherlands.
Chew said the department decided on the name “EZ” for its newest K9 after holding a contest through which the department solicited names from children in the school district in an attempt to strengthen ties with the community.
“It was probably the most joyful experience I’ve had as a police chief because you get an opportunity to see children at their best, and some of the names they came up with are hilarious,” Chew said.
However, Chew said one suggested name in particular stood out to the department as having a more personal message attached to it.
During the meeting, Chew read from an anonymous letter the department received that suggested Zubrzycki’s nickname of “EZ” for the new K9.
In letter were phrases such as “true gentleman,” “great friend to many,” “devout family man” and “compassionate law enforcement officer.”
Chew said naming the new K9 after Zubrzycki was a joyful experience for the department.
“This gives us an opportunity to carry Ed’s legacy and what he was about, because he came right into a room and you knew who Ed was –brightened up the room, lot of smiles, jokes about everything, great person,” Chew said.
Mayor Randy Brown also praised the decision, and said he had become very close to Zubrzycki’s children, who he described as amazing young boys and girls.
“I think it speaks so much for legacy and the ideals of the way in which Ed lived, and we’re really excited to have the K9 named EZ, and I know the family is very proud of it, too,” Brown said.
EZ’s handler will be Officer Samuel Funches, who Chew said stood out during the selection process and was someone who had been interested in K9s since joining the department in 2011.
“As soon as you talk to him, you know this is a guy with a big heart, big smile and he really cares,” Chew said.
Chew said EZ recently started three months of training for general patrol duties and afterward will begin another three months of narcotic detection training before hitting the street.
Chew also noted that no taxpayer dollars were spent with the purchase of EZ, which was instead funded entirely through the efforts of the non-profit Evesham Township Police Foundation.
Foundation member Dr. Carlyn Phucas also used the meeting to present the department with a $7,000 check, as did students from Jaggard Elementary School, who gave the department $575 raised by students at the school.
Not to be left out, EZ also received a gift basket at the meeting on behalf of Zubrzycki’s sisters, his wife Rachel and his children Jake, Katie, Abbie and Brynn.
Those interested in supporting the Evesham Police Foundation can contact Michael Barth at barthm@eveshampd.org
An ongoing support fund for Zubrzycki’s children can be found at www.zubrzyckichildrensupportfund.com.
