Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board accepts electronics‑detection canine donated by U.S. Secret Service to district attorney
Summary
Tulare County accepted a donated electronics‑detection canine — Tor — from the U.S. Secret Service for the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigations; the dog will assist digital forensics searches and carries an estimated annual upkeep cost of about $2,000.
The Tulare County Board of Supervisors unanimously accepted a capital asset donation on Feb. 25 from the United States Secret Service: an electronics‑detection canine named Tor, which the district attorney’s office said was trained to detect a chemical marker used on electronic components.
Lindy Gligoryevich, chief investigator for the Tulare County District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigations, introduced Tor and said Tor was donated and trained by the U.S. Secret Service to detect an odor associated with TPPO, a chemical component used to inhibit overheating in electronic items. Criminal Investigator Tony Benitez will serve as Tor’s handler in the DA’s digital forensics unit.
Gligoryevich told the board the county incurred no acquisition cost for the dog or training; ongoing maintenance and care are estimated at about $2,000 annually for food and veterinary expenses. The DA’s office said Tor will be used to locate computers and digital devices during search warrants and forensic searches across Tulare County.
Supervisor Shuckling moved to accept the donation; Supervisor Valero seconded the motion and the board voted unanimously to accept Tor into service. Supervisors and staff took a short demonstration and group photo with the canine in the chamber following the acceptance vote.
