Southwick Grange honors K9 team

SOUTHWICK, Mass. (WWLP) - Every year, the Southwick Grange names its Citizen of the Year. This year's honor went to the Southwick Police K9 Officer and his trusty police dog.

Officer Tom Krutka and his partner, 7 year old Belgian Malinois JAX made a dramatic entrance to Wednesday night's Southwick Grange meeting.

Normally Citizen of the Year honors go to a non-Grange member, but this year it went to a team; JAX and Officer Krutka.

The two put on a demonstration of JAX's skills; obedience, search and rescue, evidence and narcotics recovery, apprehension and protection of his handler.

Officer Krutka told 22News, "We do put in a lot of hard work, a lot of time, and a lot of training...mutual aid, or just our regular shifts. So it's nice being recognized by the town and the Grange."

JAX and Officer Krutka are a busy team. Krutka told 22News he and JAX have been made 512 arrests and assisted in another 176 arrests.

Krutka says they're very close, and have been together for five and a half years.