GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. — The Clay County Sheriff's Office has a new tool to help stop sex crimes against children. His name is Ty and he's a canine that uses his nose to sniff out things that his partners can't.
"The suspects and criminals get very very creative when it comes to hiding electronic devices," said Deputy Drew Ford.
Ty has been on the force for the past few months and is trained to detect chemical odors found in electronics.
"A small SD card, they are so small they can be hidden anywhere," Ford said. "They can be hidden in books, they can be hidden in drawers they can be hidden or taped in places that you never thought they could be tape to, and also curtain rods."
Ty was recently purchased through a federal grant and will be used throughout the First Coast to stop sex crimes against minors.
"Anytime law enforcement has a tool no matter who has it you know that are exploiting children and we have that tool that can find what we need then, we're going to work with other agencies across the board," Ford said.
In addition to fighting crime, Ford said Ty is also used as a therapy dog for kids to help with anxiety.