LONDON, ONT. -- During a new constable’s swearing-in ceremony at the London Police Service headquarters Friday morning, Deb Dodds, a 911 dispatcher for over 40 years, was honoured to present her daughter Jessica with her badge.
“This is definitely one of the most exciting moments of my life,” Const. Jessica Dodds told CTV News London. “This has been a dream for me since I was 12 years old. And I was very fortunate that my mom was able to give me my badge today.”
Deb Dodds is eligible for retirement but says one of the reason she hasn’t taken it is because “I wanted to stay for a while so I could dispatch her calls … and she wanted me to stay for a while so it’s kind of nice.”
Const. Dodds also said she hopes her mom will be the one that dispatches her first call.
Eleven other new LPS constables were also sworn in during the ceremony.
The new recruits spent three months in training at Ontario Police College before returning to LPS headquarters for the last two weeks of training ending yesterday. They will be with training officers for approximately three more months before they hit the pavement on their own.
Will Const. Dodds’s first dispatch come from her mother? Only time will tell, but hopefully her wish comes true.
