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The Anchorage Police Department and the Alaska Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force are pleased to announce an incredible new tool to its staff – a four-legged, treat loving lab that plans to combat crime with his nose! APD is the first law enforcement agency in the state of Alaska to have an Electronic Storage Device (ESD) Detection K9; the two-year-old yellow male lab is named Gleeson Odin (aka “Odie”).

ESD K9s are specifically trained to locate electronic digital media storage devices and are used for evidence gathering purposes, most often relating to internet crimes and cases involving child pornography. They are trained to sniff and find chemical compounds, including Triphenylphosphine Oxide (TPPO) and Hydroxycyclohexyl Phenyl Ketone (HPK), which are used in the making of phones, computers, hard drives, SD cards, disks, CDs and other electronic storage devices.

“With advancements in technology, criminals are more capable of storing and hiding electronic storage devices, including micro SD cards, in places that are not seen by the human eye,” said Sgt. Aaron Whitt, the K9 handler for Odin. “Odin has a tremendous skill with his nose that we as humans do not possess, and he will be very helpful in searching for valuable evidence that will be key in charging and prosecuting criminals in the cases we investigate.”

ESD Detection K9 Program



In 2013, the Connecticut State Police developed the first Electronic Storage Detection K9 program in the nation. Currently, the Connecticut State Police (CSP) K9 Unit provides a six-week training course for the dogs and their law enforcement handlers. All of the labs come from the Guiding Eyes for the Blind organization in New York and are hand selected by K9 Training Staff at CSP.

APD Sergeant Aaron Whitt, a former K9 Officer at the department who currently oversees the Cyber Crimes Unit, has been assigned as the trainer and handler for Odie. Together, they just completed the six-week training course in Connecticut. After graduating the training program, Sgt. Whitt and “Odie” returned to the APD where Odie has been meeting various staff around the department and getting acquainted with his new place of work.



The purchase of Odin was funded by a federal grant managed by the Alaska Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, and the task force formally adopted Odin. His skills can be used in investigations conducted by ICAC around the state of Alaska. Odin and his handler APD Sgt. Whitt graduated from the Connecticut State Police ESD K9 Training School on April 15, 2016.