K9 Jake – Palm Bay, Florida

Died 7/9/18
Handler – Officer Steve Smith

Police Mourn K9 Jake

Palm Bay Police Department announced that K-9 “Jake” passed away Monday due to natural causes. Jake was twelve-years-old and was personally owned by Officer Steve Smith and Detective Jasmine Smith. Jake served the Palm Bay Police Department for seven years in the Crime Suppression Unit and Uniformed Patrol Division, as well as serving the Brevard County Sheriffs Office, while he and handler Officer Smith were assigned to the Game Over Task Force. The K-9 began his career with PBPD in 2006 after completing a 160 hour in Basic Drug Detection Training and Evaluation. During his tenure, “K9 Jake” received a PBPD Meritorious Service Award for arrests and seizures, and was featured in an episode of “Off the Cuff”. Jake retired in 2013 after suffering a duty related knee injury.

Submitted By Jim Cortina

James A. Cortina has been involved with police dogs since 1972 and currently on the Board of Directors for the Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc. Jim has been appointed as Treasurer since its inception in 1991. Jim is one of the charter members of the C.P.W.D.A. organization. Since 1975 he has been a certified professional dog trainer and received his Master Trainer Certification in 1985. During his career he has provided armed K-9 strike crowd control for security agencies in Connecticut and out of state security companies. In conjunction with other members of the Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc. Board of Directors, he helped to draft Connecticut Statute 53-247(e) "Intentional Injury or Killing of Police K-9" which was passed by the Senate in 1993 and also assisted in implementing the prestigious Daniel Wasson Memorial K-9 Award in 1992. In 1993 he helped coordinate the North American Police Work Dog Association Nationals in New London, Connecticut. He was appointed Training Director for the New London County Work Dog Association from 1985-1987. He performed decoy work for Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc. in police K-9 demonstrations, trained several local police department canines, and coordinated training workshops for out-of-state police departments. He participated in the United States Police K-9 Association Trials in Croton on Hudson, New York in 1985 as a decoy. He is an avid photographer and received photography awards in 1989, 1990, and 1991 and currently takes photographs for the Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc.