BARTHOLOMEW CO. — Bartholomew County is moving closer to adding a unique new member to its law enforcement team: a dual-purpose police dog capable of sniffing out hidden digital evidence while providing emotional support to victims of trauma.
Electronic Storage Detection K9 (ICACTF) assigned to the Indiana State Police. Titus’ handler is Sergeant Ginger Marshall.
At Monday’s meeting, the Bartholomew County Commissioners gave the green light for the county’s task force investigating crimes against children to begin the process of acquiring an Electronic Storage Detection (ESD) K9. The request was presented by Major John Martoccia, Chief Deputy of the Sheriff’s Department, and Jay Frederick, a criminal investigator with the Prosecutor’s Office.
Unlike traditional police dogs trained to find narcotics or explosives, ESD dogs are trained to detect a specific chemical compound—typically triphenylphosphine oxide (TPPO)—which is used as a coating on memory chips to prevent overheating.
Electronic Storage Detection K9 (ICACTF) assigned to the Bloomington Police Department (BPD). Coal’s handler is Detective Jonathan Muscato.
This specialized sense of smell allows the dogs to locate devices that are nearly impossible for human investigators to find during a search warrant, including:
- Micro-SD cards (often as small as a fingernail)
- Hidden thumb drives and USB sticks
- Encrypted hard drives concealed inside furniture or walls
- Burner phones hidden in cluttered environments
“These dogs have a success rate of over 80% in finding these devices,” Frederick told the commissioners. He noted the K9 would be invaluable in identifying tiny storage cards that can hold thousands of pieces of illicit material.
The task force plans to acquire a Labrador or Golden Retriever for the role. These breeds are preferred for ESD work because of their high food drive—which is used for training—and their naturally gentle “non-aggressive” demeanor.
This temperament is crucial because the dog will also be certified as a therapy canine. In addition to evidence recovery, the dog will:
- Comfort child victims during forensic interviews or stressful searches.
- Soothe investigators who are regularly exposed to traumatizing digital evidence.
- De-escalate high-stress scenes where children may be present during police activity.
If the acquisition is successful, Bartholomew County’s new K9 will not be restricted to local cases. The dog would be available to assist Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task forces throughout the Southern Indiana region, providing a rare and cutting-edge tool to smaller departments that lack their own specialized units.
The move follows a growing trend in Indiana. Just this week, the Indiana State Police announced the addition of “Dougie,” a black Labrador ESD dog, to their ICAC unit through a partnership with the nonprofit kNot Today.
