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Police dogs sniff out sex offenders' devices

BBC The dogs are sat on the ground held by their handlers. From left to right: a red labrador, red cocker spaniel and black cocker spaniel.BBC
Demi, Baxter and Louis are Durham Constabulary's "digi dogs"

Three police dogs have been specially trained to sniff out technical devices to catch sex offenders and other criminals.

Durham Constabulary's digital evidence detection dogs hunt for items including mobile phones, tablets and laptops.

The trio's efforts have helped officers to secure a number of arrests, by uncovering vital evidence.

The force said Demi, Baxter and Louis had already proven to be "phenomenal" assets.

Police dog trainer, PC Paul Cooper crouched down in his uniform with blue latex gloves, next to three-year-old red cocker spaniel Baxter, who is sat with his tongue out.
Three-year-old cocker spaniel Baxter, pictured with PC Paul Cooper, was rescued by the force and trained to be a digital evidence dog

The "digi dog" team is made up of three-year-old cocker spaniels, Baxter and Louis, who were rescued from a dog shelter by the force, and three and a half-year-old red labrador, Demi.

They are trained to sniff out devices just as they would when trying to find drugs, cash and weapons.

The dogs started their training, which can take up to 10 weeks, in October and in their first year have been involved in a number of operations.

PC Paul Cooper, a force dog trainer, said: "Everyday they're out working with the frontline officers, with a lot of specialist departments within the force as well, keeping that risk to the public down to a minimum by locating devices.

"We've had some significant finds already where they've really benefitted the prosecution case and led to convictions, which has ultimately led to a prison term."

He said his role training the dogs and their handlers to go out and provide the service was rewarding.

Three male police dog handlers standing with three dogs on leads in front of a police van. The men are wearing black uniforms. The dogs are sat on the ground. From left to right: a red labrador, red cocker spaniel and black cocker spaniel.
The dogs, pictured with their handlers, under went a 10-week training course to specifically detect devices

Insp Aaron Leathley, from the force's dog support unit, said the their work was "invaluable" and they had already achieved "great results".

"Digi dogs provide us a phenomenal asset in terms of locating bits of digital media," he said.

"We live in a world now where the increase in mobile phones and digital devices has gone through the roof so there's always generally an angle from any investigation point that we look at through a digital lens."

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