A new cohort of Digi Dogs has been welcomed to Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Joint Operations Unit to help combat the ever-changing challenges of digital crime.
The digital world is constantly evolving, with criminals constantly finding new ways to exploit technology for illegal purposes. With their ability to detect increasingly sophisticated devices, these dogs provide a crucial asset in the fight against crime.
The new recruits, Evie, Iggy, and Moss, are undergoing an intensive 8-week training course, aimed at equipping them with the skills to detect a wide range of digital and media recording devices. They are also joined on the course by 6-year-old Loki, who has already worked on the team for a number of years but is renewing his licence with his new handler.
Once they complete their training, they will join seasoned professionals Dizzee and Ruby, who already have years of experience in sniffing out digital devices. These experienced dogs play a vital role in uncovering key evidence in cases involving serious crimes, including those related to child exploitation, fraud and stalking.
Their superior sense of smell has been honed to detect a range of digital devices, such as mobile phones, laptops, USB drives, SIM cards, crypto wallets, hard drives, spy cameras, and even tracking devices. This skillset is invaluable, as criminals often use these devices to store or transmit illegal content, making it essential to locate them quickly and efficiently.
Police Dog Instructor, Tim Lawrence, says:
“Our detection dogs offer invaluable assistance to numerous departments across the two forces. They’re skilled at working in diverse environments, from residential areas to open landscapes, from vehicles to commercial buildings, and even aircraft.
Article continues below this advertisement “These dogs have supported a wide range of investigations, including searches for Child Abuse Investigation Units, Priority Crime Teams, and Commercial Vehicle Units, where they’ve uncovered critical evidence that would have been difficult to locate otherwise.”
erm don’t most people have phones now, with SIM cards in, and some people carry laptops about too. How is this going to stop any sort of crime. This is flannel, silly idea from our fantastically inept Donna Jones I expect. Stupid. More REAL police would be a much better idea.
It’s about time the Island invested in a
Speeding detection dog to STOP
Numpty’s speeding.
They need sniffer dogs at the ferry terminals for drugs.