Hero dog honoured at JCF awards

Police dog Avicci was honoured with an award at the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s (JCF) Long Service and Good Conduct Award ceremony on Thursday.

The event, which was held at the Police Officers’ Club in St Andrew, recognised the exceptional contributions of 97 police officers to the force and the nation. Notably, among the human recipients, the exceptional canine stood out.

Constable Damion Smith, Avicci’s dedicated handler, proudly held the leash of the seven-year-old German Shepherd.

“I’m feeling really elated because he is a very good dog and he loves what he does,” shared Smith. Avicci’s impressive tenure, however, was not the sole reason for the award; it was his extraordinary skills that set him apart. Avicci specialises in narcotics detection, as well as firearms and ammunition discovery. Smith highlighted a particularly memorable operation in which Avicci uncovered a Tec-9 firearm that was concealed within a seemingly innocuous teddy bear in Spanish Town, St Catherine. Smith explained that Avicci’s responsiveness allows him to sense when something is amiss.

“We go out on a lot of operations together, and we do continuous training because that makes him a better dog and makes him very good at what he does,” he said.

“He came to Jamaica in 2018, and from there, we have a bond. He loves me, and I love him,” said Smith, emphasising the unique connection between them.

Woman Constable Brittany Simpson, an enthusiastic member of the JCF’s canine division, gushed about the enlightening experience of working with the dedicated service dogs. Reflecting on the lineage of recognised police dogs, she noted that the first dog to get recognised by the JCF was named Tim.

“His handler at the time was District Constable Okeno Ashley. The second was police dog Patreek and his handler was our chief trainer Inspector Gregory Ottar. Our third dog was handled by Woman District Constable McLeod and that was police dog Ray. The fourth was police dog Chad just last year, and now Avicci,” she said.

The members of the canine division collaborate seamlessly with their pooches, ensuring a strong bond between handlers and dogs.

“He [Avicci] is getting up in age but he is still very strong and as you can see he loves his handler. They have been together from he landed in the island, and that is a bond that you just cannot break. It’s a bond that we try to achieve with all our handlers in the JCF, so we continue working on that to bring great results,” she said.