Police Master Ty Fortune of the Naples Police Department keeps pace with his partner, running, playing with a ball and motivating her, with the goal of ensuring the safety of residents.
In recent months, Fortune and his K9 partner, Tessa, have strengthened their bond while developing skills, allowing them to return to the department’s K9 unit after a three-year hiatus. Tessa, a Labrador retriever trained to identify explosives and firearms, joins another K9, Max, who works in emergency care.
“Our most important task is to ensure that people are safe and feel safe in the city of Naples,” Fortune said. “We’re just going to check the areas to make sure there’s nothing suspicious. It’s more of a preventative thing.’
Lt. Bryan McGinn, spokesman for the Naples Police Department, said based on data there was a strong need for Max’s specialty within the department. Max, who was donated, has an expected career of six to nine years.
While Max and his handler, Chief Officer Jeffrey Perry, mainly work on comforting victims of crimes, accidents and fellow officers, Tessa’s job is all about her nose.
The K9 unit for the Naples Police Department consists of Chief Officer Jeffrey Perry, left, who handles Max, a two-year-old golden retriever, and Chief Officer Ty Fortune, who handles Tessa, a three-year-old black Labrador. Max is trained to work in crisis care, while Tessa is trained in detecting explosives and firearms. They were photographed on Tuesday, November 22, 2024 at their headquarters in Naples.
Tessa spends most of her twelve-hour workdays at Naples Airport and the Coastland Center.
“With her specialty, it’s better to find nothing,” Fortune said. “It’s our job to prevent that.”
Naples Police Chief Ty Fortune poses with K9 Tessa for a series of baseball cards on Oct. 2, 2024.
Tessa began her training with Fortune in March when she earned her certifications through the Florida Law Enforcement Canine Association on May 22 after approximately 400 hours of training.
Since then, the pair have completed another 100 hours of training.
“It takes time for them to realize that this is my job,” Fortune said, adding that he rewards Tessa by giving her time to play with toys he always has with him. “She’s very food-oriented. Very.”
At home, Fortune said, he takes Tessa into the backyard, where they throw a ball. At work they do the same in different parks.
“She would chase that ball until she dropped,” Fortune said, adding that they run several times every day.
Fortune said Tessa also undergoes obedience training both on and off the job.
“There’s a lot that goes into it. It’s a team effort,” Fortune said. “Maybe she’s having a good day… I might be having a bad day as a counselor or vice versa. It all depends. So as a team we have to work together.”
Fortune, who has another dog at home, added that both dogs have been getting along since day one.
“It didn’t even take a day for them to adjust,” Fortune said. “It was just like… I brought her home, had her meet me in the backyard and that was it.”
Fortune said visiting places like the airport, mall or hospital will help the community become aware of the dangers of wreaking havoc in those environments.
Although this is his first gig as a K9 handler, Fortune said he grew up with furry companions.
“My father had five dogs growing up,” Fortune explains. “It’s a love for dogs.”
Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Contact him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran and Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Naples police newest K9 Tessa targets explosives, firearms
