Gizmo joins Wilmette police as rare electronic-detection K9
Gizmo joins Wilmette police as rare electronic-detection K9
The Wilmette Police Department has a new crime-fighting tool with four legs, a powerful nose and an unusual specialty: finding hidden electronics.
WILMETTE, Ill. - The Wilmette Police Department has a new crime-fighting tool with four legs, a powerful nose and an unusual specialty: finding hidden electronics.
What we know:
Gizmo, a 2-year-old Labrador retriever-golden retriever mix, is the department's newest K9. He's trained to detect electronic storage devices that could contain critical evidence in criminal investigations.
Police say Gizmo is one of only four electronic-detection K9s in Illinois and roughly 100 nationwide trained for this specialized work.
Unlike traditional police dogs trained to track suspects, locate narcotics or detect explosives, Gizmo uses his sense of smell to locate electronics that investigators say can be deliberately hidden and difficult for humans to find.
The devices can include items such as cell phones, hard drives, USB drives, memory cards and other electronic storage devices.
From service dog to police K9
The backstory:
Gizmo's path to law enforcement wasn't originally part of the plan.
He was initially raised to become a service dog, but his tendency to pull too hard made him less suited for that role. What might have been a problem in the service-dog world wasn't an issue for his new career.
Gizmo eventually went through the Jordan Detection K9 Electronic Storage Detection program in Indianapolis. Wilmette Police Digital Forensic Examiner Sam Walker then completed a two-week handler certification course before the pair began working together.
Gizmo officially joined the Wilmette Police Department in June.
His training relies on the same powerful canine sense of smell used by other detection dogs, but Gizmo has learned to recognize odors associated with electronic devices.
That ability can become particularly important during searches when a tiny storage device is concealed somewhere investigators might otherwise overlook.
Wilmette Police Chief Michael Robinson said electronic evidence has become increasingly important in modern criminal investigations, making specialized detection capabilities like Gizmo's a valuable resource.
The department also expects Gizmo to assist other agencies when needed, particularly during investigations in which electronic evidence may have been intentionally hidden.
More than a crime fighter
Dig deeper:
But Gizmo's job doesn't end when the search is over.
The department is also using him as a comfort dog, giving him a second role helping victims and others dealing with stressful situations.
Officers say the simple presence of a dog can help break the ice, particularly when investigators are speaking with crime victims or people who may be uncomfortable inside a police station.
It's a combination that makes Gizmo unusual even among police K9s: one moment he can be searching for a piece of digital evidence, and the next he can provide comfort to someone who needs it.
Gizmo has only been with the department for a few months, but police say his impact is already being felt.
For a 2-year-old pup whose first career didn't quite work out, Gizmo appears to have found the job that fits.
And in a world where increasingly important evidence can be small enough to hide almost anywhere, Wilmette police are betting that Gizmo's nose can help investigators find what the human eye might miss.
The Source: The information in this report came from the Wilmette Police Department.