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Tulare County district attorney accepts donation of electronics‑detection canine from U.S. Secret Service
Summary
The board accepted donation of a trained electronics‑detection canine, Tor, from the U.S. Secret Service to the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigations. The dog will support searches for digital devices in law‑enforcement investigations; annual upkeep was estimated at about $2,000.
The Tulare County Board of Supervisors unanimously accepted a capital asset donation from the U.S. Secret Service: an electronics‑detection canine named Tor, to be assigned to the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigations.
Chief investigator Lindy Gligoryevich introduced Tor and said Investigator Tony Benitez will be Tor’s handler in the DA’s digital forensics unit. Gligoryevich said the Secret Service selected the handler and dog for the county and provided the training and acquisition; the county expects to incur only handler salary and routine upkeep costs. “We estimate his cost, with food and vet bills, about $2,000 a year,” Gligoryevich told the board.
Gligoryevich said the canine is trained to detect the odor of a chemical component identified in the meeting as “TPPO,” described there as a chemical associated with electronics; the dog will be deployed when law enforcement seeks computer items during search warrants. Investigator Benitez was present as the dog’s handler and demonstrated that Tor works on command and goes to work only when directed.
The board approved acceptance of the donation by motion; supervisors and others gathered for a photograph with Tor in the chamber afterwards.
Clarifying detail: the donation was described as having an appraised value of $20,000; the Secret Service paid for the training and acquisition, the county will cover handler salary and routine care costs.
