Murphy and partner uphold the law with more than 100 arrests in Mississauga, Brampton
Published March 6, 2024 at 2:21 pm
In the overnight hours this past Sunday in Mississauga, they quickly nabbed a suspect wanted in connection with a gunpoint carjacking that had taken place several hours earlier in Toronto.
Last Thursday in Caledon, this crime-fighting duo who’ve been partnered with one another on the job with Peel Regional Police since 2021 helped OPP with an arrest that involved two loaded guns and a large amount of drugs.
Just another week on the job tracking down people, drugs, guns and other evidence on the streets of Mississauga and Brampton — and sometimes Caledon — for this highly decorated pair of cops.
One walks the beat on two legs and the other on four. Beyond that, Const. Mark Finnie and his loyal partner Murphy, a five-year-old German Shepherd brought to Mississauga from the Netherlands four or so years ago, share much in common when it comes to targeting the suspected bad guys and any evidence they might possess.
The partners in law enforcement do their jobs well, by all accounts, and Peel police brass have taken notice since the two were paired on the job three years ago upon Murphy’s graduation from the Peel police Canine Unit training program in 2021 (see photo below).
“Since then, this team has made over 100 arrests and located countless articles of evidence including several loaded firearms,” Peel police spokesperson Const. Richard Chin told insauga.com, pointing to this past weekend’s arrest of carjacking suspects as the latest example of the partners’ stellar work.
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“They’ve received a number of commendations for the excellent work they do day in and day out,” he added.
Murphy always ready for the next call
On the call last Thursday in Caledon involving the loaded handguns and drugs, Finnie and Murphy quickly arrived on the scene to help OPP officers track down a suspect who had fled the scene.
Shortly after their arrival to help out, Murphy and his human handler found the suspect hiding in a nearby forest, Chin said.
Entering a fourth year with Murphy at his side, Finnie says while his partner does outstanding police work, he isn’t perfect — but he’s close.
“Murphy is a real handful; he’s pretty vocal in the back of the cruiser, always jumping from window to window like he’s asking for the next call to come,” Finnie said. “He can test my patience at times, but when he steps out of the cruiser, puts his nose down and starts tracking, you just know he’s going to get the job done.”
The duo’s boss is also impressed with their skills.
Peel police Sgt. Matt Bertram, supervisor of the Canine Unit, describes the man-and-dog team as “something special from day one of training.”
They make great partners, he continued.
“The natural bond these two had was obvious from the start. Murphy’s drive and natural tracking abilities, paired with Mark’s strong work ethic and 18 years of policing experience in high-level investigative bureaus, resulted in an unbeatable partnership. Mark and Murphy have made so many quality finds and arrests over the past three years, it’s hard to keep track.”
The Peel police Canine Unit numbers about a dozen or so dogs and their partners. The four-legged members of the unit are trained to track suspected criminals, locate missing people who may be in trouble, detect explosives, search for evidence, conduct building searches and sniff out drugs among various other tasks.
Peel Regional Police Const. Mark Finnie (left) and partner Murphy at Murphy’s graduation from the training program in 2021. Peel police Chief Nishan Duraiappah (second from right) was among police brass in attendance. (Photo: Peel Regional Police)
Timber is another talented member of the Peel police Canine Unit. He responded to an assault with a weapon call this week where he successfully located two suspects. (Photo: Peel Regional Police)