The CP24 reporter had been hovering for a few minutes waiting for her turn to do an interview. She approached one of the evening’s featured award-winners, a constable and his partner just an arm’s length away. She waited for the cue from the studio that she was on the air, looked into the camera and introduced the “live” segment from Toronto Police Headquarters. She asked the constable why he was being recognized with a special award.
“Well, if it wasn’t for Jetta,” the constable said, motioning to his partner, “none of this would be possible.”
She smiled because the constable was giving credit to his dog. But the police officer didn’t smile. J.D. Massey was serious about giving credit to his canine partner. You see, Jetta is an eight-year-old female German shepherd, serving with the Toronto Police Services (TPS) K9 Unit. And Const. Massey has been her handler since she arrived at the detachment, went through her intensive training, and began active service tracking people and articles based on scent.
“The moment I enter her kennel and lead her to my vehicle,” Const. Massey once told me, “she’s all business. She’s on the job.”
J.D. Massey and Jetta were acknowledged, Tuesday night, as part of the TPS awards night at police headquarters in downtown Toronto. Its grand foyer was at standing-room-only capacity, as friends and family assembled to witness about 130 police and civilians receive citations and public recognition.
“On Sept. 15, 2015, (a civilian) was on her way to work. She located an abandoned backpack on a bridge,” Superintendent Cory Bockus began recounting for the awards audience. “Examining the contents (she) discovered a suicide note and phoned police.”
Police officers (and their canine partners) serve on shifts. That means they’re on call day and night. By the time two beat-patrol constables and the canine unit (J.D. and Jetta) arrived and began searching the bank of the river below the bridge, the valley was dark. That’s when a trained dog’s sense of smell becomes the eyes and ears of first responders. In those situations the dog is literally tugging on her leash, hot on the trail of a scent (presumably from the backpack), with the dog handler sometimes hanging on for dear life.
“Jetta was alerted towards the south side of the shoreline,” Bockus continued. “Const. Massey could hear the faint sound of someone in distress. He located the male in the water, approximately 20 feet off the shoreline.”
Knowing Const. Massey, as I do, I have often asked him to talk about cases such as this one. J.D. in turn, recognizes that it’s my nature to ask questions and to root out stories of public interest. And though he has never cut me off with deflective phrases such as, “Sorry, police business,” he has rarely revealed the grim nature of his work, nor the toll it may well take on his own personal safety or mental health. He’s as stoic as any law enforcement officer I’ve ever met, but equally dedicated.
“The male (in the water) told the officers his leg was broken and that he could not move,” Supt. Bockus went on.
By this time in the awards ceremony, Const. Massey and his partner Jetta and the two other attending police officers – Const. Adrian Elliott and Const. Shaun Roy – were standing together on a stone landing in front of the spellbound audience. And while the human officers stood ramrod stiff at attention as protocol required, J.D.’s canine partner took in the audience like the sometimes playful canine she can be, wagging her tail, flicking her head one direction, then another, and every other time looking to J.D. for his next command. As eye-catching as the officers appeared in their formal uniforms, it was Jetta who was the crowd-pleaser.
“Constables Massey and Elliot entered the water … made the decision to move (the man) out of the water as he was extremely lethargic and appeared to be suffering from hypothermia.”
The officers followed up on the condition of the man and later learned that the hospital assessed him as being in serious condition, but recovering.
“In recognition of their commitment to duty and community safety,” Supt. Bockus concluded, “Constables Elliot … Roy … and Massey are awarded a Teamwork Commendation. Police Dog Jetta is awarded the Chief of Police Letter of Recognition.”
As the CP24 TV live insert neared an end, the reporter turned to the camera to do a sign-off directly into the camera lens. But instead of zooming in on either the reporter or Const. Massey, the camera operator had crouched down on his haunches for a close-up of Jetta. She sat waiting for her next command from her long-time human partner. Off-camera J.D. just smiled.
It was poetic justice that Jetta was getting the close-up, and nobody else.