Benton sheriff hopes to buy the newest 4-legged weapon in fight against child predators
When Benton County detectives go looking for child porn, they’re often searching for electronic devices that can be easily hidden away.
Cellphones, portable hard drives and micro storage cards can be stuck in vents, tucked under floor boards or slipped behind picture frames.
That’s why the Benton County Sheriff’s Office wants to invest $10,000 in an dog trained to sniff out small electronic storage devices.
“It’s a need for the community. It’s a need for law enforcement,” Sheriff Tom Croskrey said. “I think it’s our duty as the sheriff to step up and get it.“
Electronic detection dogs have been used by other law enforcement agencies for nearly a decade. They are trained to smell a compound that keeps the circuit boards from overheating in all storage devices.
More agencies learned about them after a Labrador retriever named Bear helped find key evidence during the arrest of former Subway restaurant spokesman Jared Fogle.
The dog was able to sniff out a thumb drive that police missed during a search of Fogle’s Indiana home, according to news accounts.
The same dog went to Seattle in 2015.
“This is a newer concept in law enforcement, and the dogs are harder to find,” Croskrey said.
He is looking to buy the dog from Bear’s trainer, Travis Jordan and his company Jordan Detection K9. Since starting the business, Jordan has provided dogs to departments worldwide.
The dog will cost about $10,000, and Croskrey is hoping some of the money will come from Benton County and Kennewick’s law enforcement foundations. The nonprofit agencies raise money to help support officers, the community and police dog programs.
He plans to go to the commissioners on Tuesday, Oct. 15, to get their approval to spend the money. If they sign off, a deputy could be working with a dog as early as November.
Small devices
Croskrey raised the possibility of getting a dog after the arrest of former Prosser School District employee Jakeb Garland-Cook.
Like many child pornography suspects, Garland-Cook used a cellphone to store the alleged illicit material. While Garland-Cook surrendered his phone, many suspects try to hide their device before its discovered, Benton County Detective Sgt. Horacio Gonzalez told the Herald.
He noted one suspect stashed his cellphone in an air vent, and a detective just happened to reach into the vent and find it.
“A cellphone is pretty easy to hide,” Gonzalez said.
According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, child pornography is the most reported crime on its tipline. It accounted for more than 35 million tips nationwide in 2023. That is up from 29 million two years before.
Investigators are hoping the dog would help them quickly and efficiently find the hidden devices.
Croskrey pointed out that it isn’t feasible to have deputies search behind every switch plate or wall in someone’s home.
“To make sure you get everything, you’d have to have a construction crew come in,” Croskrey said. “They’re amazing animals from what I’ve seen.”