THUNDER BAY — City police have a new member of their cyber crime unit, and he's the best boy.
Trace is a two-year-old Labrador retriever who sniffs out electronic devices when investigators execute certain types of search warrants.
After being deemed "too eager" to be a service dog, a U.S. training agency scooped up Trace and started training him to sniff out triphenylphosphine oxide (TPPO).
"Every electronic storage and Bluetooth device is made with TPPO, which prevents overheating of the hardware. This means that Trace can find hidden cell phones, SIM cards, USBs, and air tags," said Det. Const. Joel Manherz, Trace's handler
"He can detect them whether they are in airtight containers, wrapped in plastic in a fridge or freezer, or even underwater.
Trace underwent four months of rigorous training before Manherz picked him up south of the border.
Manherz recalled the first night he spent with the police service's newest member.
"That first night, I was told to give him a bath in general cleanup. We sat in front of the TV watching the nature channel because he seemed to like it.
"I cleaned his ears with a wipe, and afterwards, he returned the favour and cleaned both my ears with his tongue."
With his droopy, puppy-dog eyes, Trace isn't like a regular K-9 officer.
Under the right circumstances, like a news conference, he is allowed to wander the space and be petted by others. Trace works for his food all day, as his demeanour is to please.
So far, in Trace's short career with the Thunder Bay Police Service, he's participated in five search warrants. At four of them, the canine has discovered electronic items that were previously missed in other searches by police, including hidden wall cameras.
Manherz gave another example of helping officers during a search warrant.
"He found something that we missed in the fifth warrant. We went down to the basement and there was about 50 to 60 plastic containers down there and we used Trace to narrow down the search.
"He identified seven boxes for us to search, and we found electronics in all of them."
The Thunder Bay Police Service had Trace demonstrate his abilities.
The dog got to search an office and locate hidden items, all of which he found with ease.
The dog's police career is expected to last approximately five years, after which he'll retire and be allowed to relax at home and not work as hard for his dinner.
Trace will continue his daily training to earn his supper and delight those around the police station with his wagging tail and ability to sniff out crumbs under people's desks.
