Stamford PD's father-son duo making a difference together
News 12 Connecticut's Mark Sudol introduces us to police officers Dave Dogali and Frank Dogali. Dave is a highly decorated 28-year veteran of the force. Frank, his son, is following right in his father's footsteps.
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The Stamford Police Department is keeping it all in the family.
The department has had several fathers and sons work on the force over the years, but this duo is working the same shift and making quite an impact.
Officer Frank Dogali has only been on the Stamford police force for a couple of years. He played basketball at the University of Bridgeport, where he studied psychology.
"It's good to have that kind of experience to go to a call and be able to de-escalate a situation," says Frank.
His father, K-9 Officer Dave Dogali, is a 28-year veteran of the force. He is a highly decorated police officer and was voted officer of the year in the past.
He says his son immediately fit in on the force.
"He's got a lot of past experiences where some of his education and some of his work with disabled kids, individuals with addiction problems and psych issues help us deal with some of the calls that we go on," says Dave.
Frank Dogali was sworn in a couple of years ago, and his dad was right there. Father and son both work the midnight shift.
"I never thought I would have the opportunity to work with him, and we work on midnights together, and it's great to be able to, you know, if I have an issue or I'm confused about something, I can just give him a call," says Frank.
Law enforcement runs in this family's genes. Dave's younger son is a state trooper.
"It's just a proud feeling, and they're doing great, so I'm really happy," says Dave.
Frank says he wanted to follow in his footsteps since he was a little kid seeing his father come home wearing his uniform. He knows what a responsibility that is.
"Those are big shoes to fill," says Frank.
Frank jokes that the other officers have teased him, asking if he rides in the back of his father's car with the dog. Father and son are part of a very close family that is all about Sunday dinners.
