Jo Masters

Jo Masters
File:Jo Masters.png Sergeant Jo Masters, played by Sally Rogers
First appearance	Episode # 275 (05/01/05)
Portrayed by	Sally Rogers
In-universe information
Title	Sergeant
Occupation	Police Officer

Sergeant 46 Joanne Masters, portrayed by Sally Rogers is a fictional character in the police drama The Bill. She arrived in January 2005, and is currently the longest serving female officer at Sun Hill.

Jo was initially recruited as a Detective Constable by Adam Okaro, whom was Sun Hill's Superintendent from 2002 until 2006. Okaro had plans for her to defuse the tension between CID heads Jack Meadows and young pretender DI Neil Manson. It was immediately clear that Jo had sustained somewhat of an infamous reputation at her previous stations, partially because her former senior officer could not abide her. A capable detective with several years' experience, Jo had her chance to shine almost instantly when both her superiors were caught up in a hostage situation, and being that she is a skilled hostage negotiator she was brought onto the scene. When the situation was finally over and her superiors were freed, they both remarked to Okaro that Jo's presence in CID could be "counter-productive", to which Okaro replied it was the first time either of them have agreed in a long time, implying she had succeeded in his original mission for her.

Headstrong, lively and motivated, Jo is a no-nonsense copper who is there to get a result and does not really care about whom she offends in the process. When Samantha Nixon went behind her back to speak to her exclusive supergrass Seth Mercer, frightening him off and putting his life in danger by doing so, Jo ignored the fact that Nixon was her superior and challenged her actions. In doing so, Jo gave friend and colleague TDC Gary Best the courage and inspiration to lodge a complaint against DC Suzie Sim, whom he believed to be bullying him, which shows just how influential Jo's actions are.

Having made a lasting impression at Sun Hill, it is no surprise when Jo was chosen to be the contact officer for a recently released child serial killer. After having formed a bond with the woman, Jo used the link with the woman to her advantage when she went undercover in a women's prison, to discover how drugs were being sold on the wing.

Jo is an out-and-proud lesbian and was in a long-term relationship with a woman named Tess Henry until 2006. Jo's commitment to the job and just under a year working undercover in another district caused the two of them to separate.

When Seth Mercer contacted Jo once more with information that his haulage company was being exploited by business partners, she was convinced to go undercover on a long-term operation at Nottingham CID. Her undercover operation resulted in the death of Seth Mercer and the suspect, Phillip Hanson, and Jo returned to Sun Hill.

In 2007, whilst working on a case involving the murder of a super model called Cindy Statham, Jo was kidnapped and held hostage at gun point by Crime Scene Photographer Rachel Inns, after she collected enough evidence to arrest her on the suspicion of the murder. The previous suspect, Larry Franks, had made a statement confessing to the murder, but after he withdrew his confession, Jo was determined to clear Larry's name and prove to DI Manson that he was wrong.

Jo investigated the murder of a teenage girl in 2008, which uncovered a nation wide network of trafficking of underage girls for sex, involving suspects Andy Donnelly, Kenton Farmer, and Jake Clegg. After spending the night outside the residential unit of one young girl, Jen Kilshaw, to ensure her safety, Jo was berrated by Superintendent John Heaton for becoming too involved. It is decided that DC Mickey Webb would go undercover at one of Clegg's properties which was suspected of being involved in the abuse of young girls, and Clegg was arrested and interviewed by Jo, who was forced to release him because of a lack of evidence, much to her frustration. Later, intelligence suggested that a group of girls was to be trafficked from Sun Hill to Glasgow that day, and Jo was horrifed when she received a call from Jen saying she had been abducted by Farmer. Desperate, Jo and Mickey eventually broke through Donnelly's tough exterior to find out where Clegg and Farmer had taken the girls. The DCs finally traced Clegg and are horrified to see two van loads of distressed and drugged girls, including Jen Kilshaw. Mickey insisted that they wait to for back up, but Jo was worried that it would be too late for the victims. Both officers jumped out of their car and while Mickey arrested Farmer, Clegg saw red and attacked Jo. She is eventually able to restrain him, and all suspects were arrested.

Jo's motivation is second to none, and her instinct and determination has served her and her colleages well in the past. No-nonsense and headstrong, she'll do anything to nail a crook and makes sure the colleagues she works alongside pull their weight too. She is motivated by her sense of responsibility to the public. The job is a vocation and a way of life – she’s never wanted to do anything else. She’s a tough cookie, but is still prepared to learn and grow from every experience she encounters.

Jo became one of Sun Hill’s most experienced and professionally respected DCs, so in 2010 when Superintendent Jack Meadows needed a replacement for Smithy’s former Sergeant’s position, he knew she’d be right for the job. With twenty years’ service under her belt – five of them at Sun Hill – and a sergeant’s exam passed on the QT, Jo felt well equipped for her latest career challenge.

Full of laconic wit and sarcasm, Jo can banter with the best of them, but she’s also incredibly warm hearted. She’s someone to be relied on, and many officers at Sun Hill, DC Grace Dasari in particular, would call her a dear friend as well as a colleague. Although she remains approachable and level-headed, her PCs are soon to discover that their new Sarge is no pushover - and she's not afraid to take on Sergeant Callum Stone or Inspector Dale Smith either, if the case demands it.