WHAT A GOOD COPPER!

Meet Jackson, the police dog with an unerring nose for stolen metal, and his proud handler, Yusuf

- NICI DE WET

HE SITS, haunches quivering in anticipation, eyes fixed on his handler. He waits and waits . . . then finally the order comes. 

“Soek! [Find]”, comes the command – and he’s off, nose to the ground, searching for what he knows he must find: copper. Less than five minutes later he’s located a pipe hidden among the tall grass at the far end of the training field. Tail wagging, he returns it to his handler and is rewarded with a chew on his favourite rubber toy. 

Meet Jackson, the City of Cape Town’s latest weapon in its fight against copper theft. Thanks to his highly trained nose, Jackson is helping police combat one of the biggest scourges in the Western Cape.

Last year, the government issued a six-month ban on copper and copper-alloy scrap metal exports in a bid to crack down on the problem, which is estimated to cost SA more than R47 billion a year.

Public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan even warned that people exporting copper could be charged with treason. 

But copper thieves had better watch out: Jackson is on their case. At seven, the black-and-white pit bull mix, isn’t as quick around the obstacle course as he used to be – but what he lacks in speed he more than makes up for in experience. 

He’s a professional with many jobs under his collar and a great reputation too. Of course, none of it would be possible without his handler, Constable Yusuf Fredericks (49).