Hendersonville police introduce K‑9 trained to find electronic devices and provide victim support

Sergeant Edwards of the Hendersonville Police Department demonstrated K‑9 Stella on June 23, describing the dog's dual role locating electronic devices and providing victim‑support therapy.

"She's a two year old black lab, and she's trained to detect and locate electronic devices," Sergeant Edwards said, explaining that the dog is used primarily in searches tied to child exploitation investigations and to detect tracking devices and other electronics a victim may be concerned about. He described a key odor used in training — tristanoyl phosphine oxide (CPPO) — and explained that if an odor can be singled out, a dog can be trained to alert to it.

Stella's second function is therapy: the sergeant said she can sit with a victim who has suffered a traumatic crime to help them participate in interviews and investigations. The sergeant demonstrated Stella locating an SD card inside concealment boxes brought to the council chambers.

Council members asked whether the Secret Service or another agency still owned the dog and how long Stella's service life would be. Sergeant Edwards said the Secret Service and the National Computer Forensics Institute assisted with the partnership; the equipment was donated and the Hendersonville Police Department now owns Stella. He estimated a service life of roughly 10 years. The department also indicated it will assist other agencies by request and that the sheriff's department and other agencies have mutual‑aid agreements.

Mayor Clary and aldermen thanked the officers and the dog for the demonstration and noted the new capability will assist victim investigations and evidence recovery. The minutes record no budget appropriation tied to the canine presentation; council members expressed appreciation for the partnership that enabled the department to obtain the dog and training.