Inspector Peter September is a well-respected officer in the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) and an award-winning dog handler. The medals and trophies adorning his desk and the walls of his office at the JMPD Academy in Stafford, south of the CBD embody his previous accomplishments. There are easily over 20 trophies and nearly 150 medals.
The K9 unit training coordinator and instructor for narcotics and patrol dogs is proud of his achievements, but he modestly attributes these to the dogs he has trained and those who came before him. September sings the praises of his long-time companion, Giyana, a fully trained narcotics German Shepherd.
September and Giyana met in 2014 and started training when she was only a few weeks old. Giyana took a liking to him while still a puppy. After a few months of regular training, the duo won their first gold medal at a national dog and handler competition.
They competed at the national championships in October 2021 and walked away with gold and silver. September says his association with Giyana is important because a good and friendly relationship leads to success. This is why he and Giyana seem so inseparable.
Giyana is a blissful dog. She’s intelligent, energetic, and playful. September says she follows commandments with great precision. Giyana can detect abalone, narcotics, micro-organisms, and human scent.
In competitions the two have entered together, there were various categories and exercises such as scent discrimination, control search, directional control, agility, protection work, and the detection of narcotics, explosives, and abalone, all of which Giyana has mastered.
Before joining the JMPD, September worked at the Midrand Traffic Department for about 7 years. This is where his passion for dogs was encouraged. Here, September was trained to become a professional dog handler and was assigned to work with two German Shepherd patrol dogs, Ariel, and later Gismo.
Ariel proved to be a great companion on numerous occasions, one of which was during a break-in at a corporate office in Midrand. The office was dark, but when he gave Ariel the command to look for the suspect, she went ahead and dragged the suspect to him.
September says the law enforcement field chose him. Before his stint at the Midrand Traffic Department, September was in the South African Police Service for 9 years. In 1986, he applied to the police department in Malmesbury, in the Western Cape, and from there he was sent to Alexandra Police Station. This is how he ended up in the city of gold.
He’s an experienced dog handler and has acquired enough training for him to perform at his best. He has completed, among others, a patrol dog course, a dog handler’s course, and a course in advanced narcotics investigation in Gaborone, Botswana.
He enjoys everything about his job. “I grew up with dogs and it was my passion to work with them. My job is my hobby,” says September with a smile.
In 2002, competing at his first dog handler competition, September received gold. He has since scooped titles such as Dog Instructor of the Year, Dog Handler of the Year, Best Dog and Handler, and Most Productive Dog and Handler, to name a few.
And in the prime of his career, September received his highest honour, national colours, for the best narcotics dog handler.
September is a successful instructor and is currently the vice-chairperson of the South African Working Trials Dog Association, its first non-white qualifying judge.
September says collaborating with dogs requires a lot of dedication and patience. “If you’re not here with your heart, the dog can pick it up.”
He says he’s learned from the best and he’ll continue to serve the City by producing top narcotics dogs and associated handlers.
Written by Brümilda Swartbooi
6.5.2022