A specialist police dog trained to detect concealed electronic devices is to join the Arlington County Police Department in Virginia, expanding a capability already used by the county sheriff’s office.
The new Labrador will be provided through a partnership with OUR Rescue, a charity which has supported more than 150 canine placements worldwide. Arlington County’s board approved the donation on 19 September, police said. ([arlnow.com](https://www.arlnow.com/2026/09/23/acpd-getting-new-k9-to-sniff-out-concealed-electronics/))
The dog will be deployed during certain criminal search warrants and other lawful investigations, helping officers locate devices that may contain evidence. Its work will include identifying and recovering hidden mobile phones, memory cards, USB drives and other electronic storage devices. ([arlnow.com](https://www.arlnow.com/2026/09/23/acpd-getting-new-k9-to-sniff-out-concealed-electronics/))
Arlington already has an electronic-detection dog in service. Logan, who works with the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office, was recently filmed finding a mobile phone concealed in a bush outside the Arlington County Detention Facility.
Logan was initially trained to detect narcotics, but was retrained after changes to Virginia’s marijuana laws reduced the number of drug investigations in which he could be used. He can now also detect phones, flash drives, hard drives and SD cards, as well as narcotics.
The dogs are trained to detect triphenylphosphine oxide, or TPPO, a chemical manufacturers use to help prevent electronic circuit boards from overheating. The odour can allow them to locate devices hidden in places that might otherwise be missed during a search.
“If they’re doing an investigation and somebody is hiding, for example, a flash drive with images on it, and it’s in an area that’s not gonna be easily accessible or looked at by law enforcement, their nose is incredible, and their nose is gonna pick up things that a human may miss,” Cpl Matthew Camardi, Logan’s handler, said.
Camardi said the capability was particularly useful when investigators were searching for concealed images of child sexual exploitation.
Arlington County police are expected to choose and receive their new K9 within the next few months. The department said the animal will support efforts to secure evidence for arrests and prosecutions. ([arlnow.com](https://www.arlnow.com/2026/09/23/acpd-getting-new-k9-to-sniff-out-concealed-electronics/))
