Cobb Sheriff’s Office Introduces Sherlock, Their New Electronic Detection K-9

Cobb Sheriff Craig Owens introduced the latest addition to their team on Friday: Sherlock, a golden retriever-Labrador retriever mix, who is a specialist in electronic detection.

Sherlock is the office’s ninth K-9 but stands apart as a rare capability for police dogs. Unlike his counterparts who search for drugs, explosives, or weapons, Sherlock is trained to locate hidden electronic devices that may contain critical evidence in cases such as sex trafficking, child pornography, and other serious crimes.

Dogs are normally good at detecting different smells, but Sherlock’s keen sense of smell allows him to detect items like micro SD cards, external hard drives, and computers. He will serve two important roles: assisting in crime scene investigations and conducting searches at the Cobb jail to find banned electronic devices, such as cell phones.

Sheriff Owens said Sherlock’s skills will be available to all law enforcement agencies within Cobb County and nearby jurisdictions. “The capabilities Sherlock has are phenomenal,” Owens said, emphasizing the crucial role K-9s like Sherlock play in crime prevention.

Sherlock demonstrated his talents by locating hidden electronics like SD cards and a laptop that his handler, Deputy Carl Cramer, had hidden. Once Sherlock found the items, he signaled his handler by sitting or using his snout to point to their location.

After seeing a similar dog used by the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office in Columbus, Georgia, Owens said he was inspired to obtain an electronic detection K-9 for Cobb.

Sherlock was generously donated by Defenders for Children, a nonprofit focused on preventing child abuse. The Cobb Sheriff’s Office is only the second law enforcement agency in Georgia to utilize this type of K-9.

Assistant Chief Deputy Gina Hawkins believes Sherlock is just the beginning of a new era in digital investigations. “This is the start. We’re leading the way, and we hope that other agencies in metro Atlanta will soon follow suit,” Hawkins said.