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Rochelle will be bringing her extensive background of knowledge and experience to SWN this month. She will share information you need to know including:
- SITUATIONAL AWARENESS
- BASIC SAFETY TIPS
- DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND RELATED LAWS
- SELF-DEFENSE
- RECOGNIZING TRAUMA
- SELF-CARE
Detective Rochelle Jones is a Portsmouth native who graduated from Portsmouth High School and was hired by the Portsmouth Police Department as a full-time police officer in 2002. Before that, she served in the U.S. Army Military Police Corps as a corrections specialist at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. Shortly after, she worked as a corrections officer at the Strafford County Department of Corrections. She later received a degree in Criminal Justice from Hesser College, while working as a residential counselor at the Chase Home for Children in Portsmouth.
Rochelle has been serving her community for over 25 years in several roles to help children, students, seniors and everyone in between.
She became a detective in 2009 and was assigned as the PHS Resource Officer where she developed an iPod registration program that eliminated the ongoing theft of students’ iPods, a program which received international recognition. She was later assigned to the detective division, responsible for investigating a variety of felony level offenses and serving as the assistant Juvenile Prosecutor and Missing Persons Liaison.
Rochelle has received numerous awards including the 2015 recipient of the Martin Luther King Community Service Award and in 2016, she became the Community Outreach Coordinator, responsible for building and maintaining relationships with local organizations and service providers. She was also the department coordinator for Seacoast Crime Stoppers and for CRASE (Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events.)
She is a certified self-defense instructor, a crisis negotiator, and a member of several coalitions protecting elder and incapacitated adults from physical and financial abuse and others supporting young people. As a member of the Greater Portsmouth Youth Wellness Coalition, she worked with teens in crisis and with group crisis intervention. She is a faculty member with the NH National Alliance for Mental Illness.
In 2023, she was chosen as Mason the Comfort Dog’s handler. When she is not working, she enjoys working out, dancing, playing competitive softball, volunteering, and spending time with her family and friends.
MASON'S RESUME:
MASON THE COMFORT DOG:
BIO:
Mason is a 2 ½ year old, black American Labrador Retriever, and the Portsmouth police department’s FIRST Comfort Dog! Mason comes to us from a non-profit organization called Hero Pups. Hero Pups trains and provides comfort, emotional support, service, and therapy dogs to first responders and Veterans. Mason was sponsored by AT&T FirstNet. His handler/Mom is Community Outreach Coordinator Detective Rochelle Jones.
JOB DESCRIPTION:
Mason helps boost morale for police officers, city personnel, and their families and is available for victim interviews to reduce stress. In between, he also makes appearances at community events, schools, assisted living facilities, and wherever else he is needed that is within his responsibilities. He is a certified Therapy Dog.
CERTIFICATIONS:
American Kennel Club-Canine Good Citizen
AKC-Advanced Canine Good Citizen
AKC-Urban Canine Good Citizen
AKC-Trick Dog Novice
Piscataqua Obedience Club-Manners Class
Critical Communication Skills-One Brother One Sister
National Association of Canine Scent Work, LLC.-Odor Recognition Trial Title.
Alliance of Therapy Dogs-Therapy Dog
PUBLICATIONS:
PORTSMOUTH CITY LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE (Kids and Pets issue August 2024)-“In the Comfort of a Canine” pages 12-15
EXCEPTIONAL PARENT MAGAZINE (Military Edition)-“Hero Pups: Saluting Veterans and First Responders with Pawsitivity” pages 44-48
Things to Remember When Interacting with Mason:
Feel free to pet Mason and give him scratches. Please refrain from giving him commands (his handler gives him plenty). Please do NOT give him treats (he is on a special diet & we also want him to remain affection driven). He will happily accept handler approved toys.
Fun Facts & Off Duty:
Mason is all black except for the white patches on the back of each front paw. When he is not working, he enjoys watching Family Feud & Judge Judy with his mom, playing ball, swimming, and traveling.
Feel free to follow Mason on his Instagram page: @masonthecomfortdog and on Facebook.
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