Meet Tessa, Royse City PD's new electronics detection dog

ROYSE CITY, Texas - The Royse City Police Department has a new canine officer specially trained to detect hidden technology.

Electronics Detection Dog

What we know:

Tessa can literally sniff out hidden evidence.

She’s a highly trained black Labrador that will assist her handler, Royse City Police Det. Andrew Manson, on cases involving the internet and crimes against children.

She can use her sense of smell to locate hidden technology like smartphones, hard drives, USB devices and SD cards.

What they're saying:

"We have seen a huge increase in internet crimes against children specifically because of the just ease in obtaining electronic storage devices. You can hide any kind of imagery and then you can conceal those devices inside other hidden devices. And when you're going into somebody's home or workplace, they obviously know a lot of places to conceal this type of incriminating evidence. So being able to have a canine who can be able to alert and detect those devices for us is extremely helpful and beneficial for being able to get that crucial evidence that we need," Det. Mason said.

Dig deeper:

Tessa and other dogs like her are trained to sniff out a specific chemical odor sprayed on all electronic devices to keep them from becoming too hot.

The dogs and their training are provided free by the United States Secret Service. Agencies sign an agreement to lend their dogs to other departments if help is required.

They are also trained as comfort dogs to help victims and traumatized children during what can be stressful and painful law enforcement interviews.