The Milwaukie Police Department (MiPD) is excited to introduce a new canine resource. Through funding received from the Milwaukie Public Safety Foundation (MPSF) https://milwaukiepsf.org/, MiPD has acquired an Electronic Storage Device (ESD) Detection K9.
The ESD K9 “Flora”, a 2-year-old fox red lab/golden retriever mix, is assigned to the investigations division and is primarily used to search for items in criminal cases requiring the seizure of ESD. These ESD include cellular phones, removeable memory and other kinds of electronics designed to store evidentiary data. K9 Flora trains with her handlers several times a day to stay sharp in search techniques. Flora is also certified in outdoor ESD searches having the ability to locate electronics devices with storage capabilities in several feet of moving water.
There are only a few ESD certified dogs in the State of Oregon and the demand is high for investigators to have a resource that can locate these electronic storage items which can often be very small and easy to conceal. Flora is trained to recognize a specific chemical used in the manufacture of semiconductor data storage devices and can easily locate them for investigators.
K9 Flora comes with a bonus, she is a certified service dog who was initially trained to be an emotional support K9 for US Military Veterans. While Flora is calm and personable, emotional support trainers learned she has a strong drive for scents and often it would distract her from her primary training. Fortunately, Flora was discovered by an ESD K9 training facility in the Midwest and found her true calling as an ESD detection dog.
Flora will work closely with MiPD detective handlers for her primary role in Milwaukie ESD cases as well as patrol handlers for comfort dog assignments and opportunities in the community. She will be available to assist in her ESD detection assignments with partner law enforcement agencies around the Northwest.
Source: Milwaukie Police