A conversation with Officer Gunnor McGee and his canine partner.
Q: How old is Turbo, and how long has he been a part of Rockwall PD?
A: “Turbo is a seven-year-old Belgian Malinois who has been an officer for a little over five years. If all goes well medically, he’ll likely retire in two years.”
Q: What are Turbo’s duties, and what does he enjoy most?
A: “He does both narcotics detection and patrol, which includes tracking and article recovery.
I think his favorite, because he gets a lot of exercise, is evidence recovery or article searching. So, finding fresh human odor on something in the environment, like when a suspect throws property or runs from officers. Tracking is the coolest to watch, though. It's very primitive.”
Q: Is there a story about Turbo’s work that sticks out in your mind?
A: “On our first shift together, we were working an attempted robbery outside Walmart. Turbo alerted me to a guy hiding 20 feet away, and the suspect takes off running. Turbo looked at me like, "Are we doing this?” After sending Turbo, the guy gave up. I was able to recall Turbo on his first shift, and he didn’t have to bite the guy. That was pretty cool.”