One of the most well written letters I've ever read! Thank you Sen. Sweeney for your support! I only hope and pray that Chief Nestel III will listen. It reads: Dear Chief Nestel: There are times when all of us in leadership need to remember that a policy that hurts people rarely has a good outcome. I am writing you after reading a Star-Ledger article about the reassignment of Richard Galanti, an officer with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority Police Department and his K-9 partner Abal, with the hope you will add your voice of reason to this issue. ("Heartbroken officer forced to surrender his partner, the family dog"). As reported by the Star-Ledger, Officer Galanti, who lives in Wenonah, Gloucester County, is being transferred to patrol duty and subsequently, his shepherd Abal, will be reassigned as well. Abel has lived with the Galanti family for five years and has become a family pet. During this time, the Galanti's 14-year-old son was struck and killed by a car. In short, Abal was more than a part of a K-9 team; he was a valuable therapy dog for a family dealing with loss. It has been reported that in a letter released on Twitter, SEPTA Transit Police Chief Thomas J. Nestel III wrote that reassigning Abal was the right decision for a new handler, riders and "most importantly, for Abal." Let's apply some common sense. Abel has bonded with the Galanti family. What is best for Abal is not the issue here: a rigid adherence to a policy is. The Galanti's have offered to pay for a new trained dog for the department, a large expense for a middle-income family. If SEPTA's policy is to continually reassign K-9 unit dogs, it should not allow the dogs in the K-9 unit to bond for long periods of time with any family. But that is going forward. It's the now that matters. A comment by SEPTA's media relations director that Abal "is not a family dog" is based on what? A conversation with Abal? Abal is a highly trained dog, but he is a dog. He is not going to make the same distinctions as SEPTA. The transit agency's decision to transfer Richard Galanti is not an issue. It has right to make personnel decisions, but Abal is not personnel; he's a family dog. He is part of the Galanti family. We all need to put down the policy sheet and see a family affected by this decision. I urge you to join with me in righting this wrong. Sincerely, Stephen M. Sweeney New Jersey Senate President