About Bobby Garten

Detective Bobby Garten was a second-generation Hartford police officer, killed in the line of duty while doing what he loved—protecting his city.

 

He served on the Street Crimes Unit, pulling dozens of illegal guns off the streets, and on the Marine Division, where he helped pull someone from the river in a successful water rescue. Every unit he touched said the same thing: Bobby didn’t just show up—he showed up. Always first in, always with that damn smile.

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His service started early. At 7, he tried to enlist in the Navy. They politely declined—but pointed him to the Sea Cadets, which he stuck with all through high school. Later, he worked public safety at the University of Hartford before joining HPD full-time.

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Bobby wasn’t just a cop. He was that guy—making people laugh, giving a damn, and always doing a little more than he had to. Because that’s who he was.