Post Falls Police Department to add specially trained K9 skilled in finding hidden hard drives and memory cards

POST FALLS, Idaho — A new furry friend with special skills will soon be joining the Post Falls Police Department.

PFPD announced Thursday it has been selected to receive a new electronic detection K9.

Provided by a program administered by the United States Secret Service National Computer Forensics Institute (NCFI), the highly trained dog will be the first of its kind in the Inland and Pacific Northwest.

According to PFPD, unlike traditional police dogs, this K9 will be trained to find hidden electronic devices such as hard drives, memory cards and other small electronics that may be used to store illegal material.

“This important skill will help protect children and strengthen investigations,” said PFPD in a statement.

Because the program is fully funded by the U.S. government, the training, equipment and the K9 will come at no cost to the City of Post Falls.

PFPD detective Jason Cope, the department’s computer forensics investigator, will travel to Alabama in January for special training and to retrieve the dog.

“We are grateful to the U.S. Secret Service and NCFI for selecting Post Falls to receive this incredible resource,” said Captain Jason Mealer. “Detective Cope’s expertise in digital forensics, combined with this new K9, will significantly enhance our ability to serve and protect our community.”