K-9 Simon officially retired on Dec. 3, 2024, after nearly a decade of dedicated service to the city of Salem and a well-deserved commendation from the city council. On Friday, a procession and memorial service will be held at the high school to honor his life and service at 3 p.m. Shown are Sgt. Mike Garber and Simon waiting to receive the commendation. (File photo by Morgan Ahart)

SALEM — A memorial service will be held in honor of K-9 Simon Friday.

The ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. in the Salem High School Auditorium and will honor the life and service of Salem’s first K-9 officer Simon, who passed away on Dec. 20.

The ceremony will be preceded by a procession which will begin on East State Street at Continental Drive and proceed down State Street to Lincoln Avenue and continue north up Lincoln to F.E. Cope Drive and conclude at the Salem High School. The procession will pass under a giant American flag suspended from the fire department’s ladder truck on State Street en route to the high school.

The ceremony will begin with a walkthrough of K-9 officers and their partners and a final salute. This will be followed by remarks from Police Chief J.T. Panezott, VanEss K-9 Academy owner and head trainer Eric Stanbro, and Sgt. Mike Garber, the partner of K-9 Simon. The ceremony will conclude with a K-9 prayer read by Brittany Maniscalco.

Those attending the ceremony are asked to arrive by 2:45 p.m. to be seated prior to the ceremony, and park in the northeast side of the parking lot. Garber said that the department would attempt to stream the service to the “City of Salem Police Department K-9” Facebook page.

For any questions contact the police department or send a message to either the “City of Salem Police Department K-9” or “City of Salem Ohio Police Department” Facebook pages.