The dogs that sniff out COMPUTER DATA to crack down on paedophiles
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The trading of child pornography is an ever-increasing problem and paedophiles have been known to conceal hard drives of images in walls, ceilings and cabinets to avoid being caught.
These small storage devices are typically difficult for police to find, but one force has found an alternative - sniffer dogs.
Connecticut State Police is now using a golden labrador to find concealed memory cards in return for food, and the scheme has already led to arrests.
Connecticut State Police has started using a golden Labrador (stock image pictured) called Thoreau to find concealed memory cards, hard drives and USB sticks. The dog identifies the scent of the metal and components used in the devices and is being used to find storage devices containing images of child porn
TRAINING SNIFFER DOGS
When training dogs to sniff our contraband, police handlers and trainers will associate the smell of the drug, memory card or similar with the animal's favourite toy.
To begin the training, the handler plays with the dog and the toy, which has been carefully washed so that it has no scent of its own.
Later, the item that the handler wants to train the dog to sniff out is rolled up inside the toy - which is often a towel, or similar.
After playing for a while, the dog starts to recognise the smell of the contraband as the smell of his favourite toy.
The handler then hides the towel, with the contraband, in various places and if he finds it, he is rewarded with either use of the toy, food, or both.
Golden labrador Thoreau, owned by handler Detective Adam Houston, can also find hard drives, USB sticks and other similar gadgets by identifying the scent of the metal and components used in the devices.
The dog is being used to find storage devices containing images of child porn, hidden by paedophiles.
Thoreau received 22 weeks of training in how to detect devices in exchange for food at the Connecticut State Police Training Academy.
Last month, Thoreau found a flash drive containing child pornography hidden inside a tin box, within a metal cabinet.
That discovery led the police to secure an arrest warrant.
During tests, Thoreau has also located a hard drive inside a bag in the upper shelf of a desk, as well as a flash drive and thumb drive in a draw.
Thoreau received 22 weeks of training and, last month, found a flash drive containing child pornography hidden inside a tin box, within a metal cabinet. When training dogs to sniff out contraband, handlers and trainers associate the smell of the drug, memory card (stock image pictured) or similar with the animal's favourite toy
'If it has a memory card, he'll sniff it out,' Detective Houston told The Providence Journal. 'This is how [Thoreau] eats every day.'
When training dogs to sniff our contraband, police handlers and trainers associate the smell of the drug, memory card or similar with the animal's favourite toy.
To begin the training, the handler plays with the dog and the toy, which has been washed so that it has no scent of its own.
Later, the item that the handler wants to train the dog to sniff out is rolled up inside the toy - which is often a towel, or similar.
The dog then starts to recognise the smell of the contraband as the smell of his favourite toy.
The handler hides the towel, with the contraband, in various places and if the dog finds it, he is rewarded with either use of the toy, food, or both.
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