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Police Using Dogs To Sniff Out Computer Memory
First time accepted submitter FriendlySolipsist points out a story about Rhode Island Police using a dog to find hidden hard drives. The recent arrival of golden Labrador Thoreau makes Rhode Island the second state in the nation to have a police dog trained to sniff out hard drives, thumb drives and other technological gadgets that could contain child pornography. Thoreau received 22 weeks of training in how to detect devices in exchange for food at the Connecticut State Police Training Academy. Given to the state police by the Connecticut State Police, the dog assisted in its first search warrant in June pinpointing a thumb drive containing child pornography hidden four layers deep in a tin box inside a metal cabinet. That discovery led the police to secure an arrest warrant, Yelle says. “If it has a memory card, he’ll sniff it out,” Detective Adam Houston, Thoreau’s handler, says.
Any Memory?? what judge will go on just that?
hidden four layers deep why that for a USB stick? doing that will make them want to look at the data.
Just shipping them unhidden is more likely to just pass though
Can he packet sniff?
I had no idea the contents of a physical drive changed its smell!
This is very intriguing!
I'm pretty sure there's porn of that.
you need to be on the jury.
While child pornography is bad the lost of rights / junk science to by pass your rights is much worse
Your Honor, this person of interest may have hard drives or thumb drives, and these types of storage devices are commonly used to store CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OHHHH GOD THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!!! WHY WONT YOU PROTECT THE BABY JESUS??????"
Warrant granted -- get those scumbags. And I wont cry if they die before seeing a jail cell!
Especially old SCSI drives. Peuw! Stink-o-rama! It's like really bad B.O.
Does the memory smell once it is packaged? Or when it is being built? Before a logo is put on it or after? Does ECC memory have a different smell than non-ecc?
Please tell me the police are not actually believing this crap.
Typical government bureaucracy, relying on outdated technology.
Nearly 10 years ago, top minds in the private industry already developed super dogs that not only detected DVDs but could also determine the legal status of said DVDs by smell alone.
...on where said thumb (drive) was recently stuck.
Just store pics of skunks
Table-ized A.I.
Is the dog also trained to crack truecrypt files?
Let's get this out of the way. Search tactics using dogs is always going to be prone to abuse. However, dogs have been sniffing out electronics for years now. Additionally, and this should be obvious, the dog isn't sniffing out hard drives that contain child pornography, it's merely sniffing out all hard drives. In this case, the dog was deployed as the result of a search warrant that undoubtedly allowed for the seizure of all electronic devices within the home. Use in this manner is much less controversial than using the dog to find the drive, thus establishing probable cause to bypass a warrant entirely.
Can they tell the difference between RDRam and SDRam?
Are you telling me that they can't stop people from making child pornography by identifying the children in the films and finding the perverts who do that kind of stuff? There must be mountains of other forensic evidence they can use to connect the people that actually did these crimes than the sick people that view that stuff.
There must be all kinds of techniques they can use to uncover the equipment that the stuff is made on, identifying the children that are in the the stuff, and finding the perps. I am sure that a ton of children could be saved by basic investigation techniques. But they find something like this and get money from the feds for dogs that sniff memory on the chance that someone has ratholed a usb stick with illegal stuff on it. And the long arm of the law grows longer and longer as they get tools like this and need a purpose for them.
This has unreasonable search and seizure written all over it. To go to such lengths to find a usb stick with some pictures on it seems more like a justification for an invasive use of investigative powers than a legitimate tactic to protect children from abuse. Next it will be used on investigative reporters in the interests of "national security".
At first, I had a real good laugh when I read this. There's no way the dog can smell certain memory cards with certain content on it, anyone with half a decent brain and some knowledge in electronics knows this.
But then it occurred to me, it's not the card/usb-stick the dogs are smelling, it's the fact that some human touched it, probably repeatedly from using the USB-memory (or harddrive) for a long time, this is bound to leave your human scent on them, and thus making it easy for the amazing dog nose to sniff it out.
Yeah, I'd say that's fully plausible!
What this world is coming to - is for you and me to decide.
the fourth amendment won't allow such intrusion into our personal belongings. Thoreau will have to be sent to China or North Korea to use his talents. also, I'm pretty sure Henry David would not be happy with the choice of the dog's name.
I would assume the dogs don't get their treat if the flashes drives are encrypted.
A) There is this little thing called "The Internet" that people use to send each other information. Why the hell would someone go to the risk of keeping a thumb drive that can be identified as in their possession and have their fingerprints, when they can just send an encrypted file?
B) I doubt the dog can smell memory in particular, he can probably just sniff electronics. Everything nowdays has some kind of electronic component, I doubt this will be very useful.
WTF am I doing replying to an AC at 5 A.M on a Friday night?
If you read the article, the police got a search warrant based on other evidence. The dog was subsequently used to locate the device which led to an arrest warrant.
In my home I have way too many hard drives laying around from old computers - and a lot of other electronic parts. It will take quite a while for them to go through the stuff - provided that they can find useful controller cards for reading them.
If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
Yeah, selling expensive, failure-prone hard drives to criminals so that dogs can't find them and the police will instead tear their house to pieces to eventually find a specialized sealed hard drive for avoiding detection which only a (very, very stupid) criminal would want.
Sounds like a real business opportunity, are you selling shares?
I don't even want to know what you think the "few layers of aluminum foil" would be good for, but I am certain it wouldn't work, whatever it is.
"They were pure niggers." – Noam Chomsky
As the drugs war winds down... another war on freedom starts.
I am not surprised that the reporter is a technical illiterate who cant tell memory from storage, but surely the submitter or the editor one could show half a brain cell working and correct it?
All the devices mentioned are storage, not "memory".
Anyway, police dogs are a scam. Like Clever Hans, they are more attuned to their trainers emotions than s/he is, and can baffle and impress the unwary with seemingly impossible tricks as a result. Granting a warrant based on a dog alerting is effectively the same thing as granting it because a cop has a hunch.
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Friends don't let friends enable ecmascript.
I understand that.
My point is that the as the
a) long arm of the law grows longer the potential for misuse grows larger as well
b) that the cops in this case are either
1) probably going after someone that there is very little evidence against or 2) that they have overlooked significant evidence against if they have rip the whole place to shreds and need to use a dog to find deeply hidden usb stick.
Seriously, this sounds like that ep of Always Sunny where Dolph Lundgren is the voice of a dog that can smell crime, and then it wound up being a giant nose on Dolph Lundgren's body. (Doctor) Dolph Lundgren could smell the crime before it even happened, though.
Have gnu, will travel.
So now I can't even hide my one time pad? Which I keep for perfectly legitimate purposes.
I'm going to start hiding beef jerky in random places in my house.
“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
One step closer to 'thoughtcrime' ;(
Side note, there's a shortage of dogs capable of doing real work, like search and rescue. why waste good talent on this shit? I can't think of a reason this should ever be an issue.
Is the end game going to be that whenever going through customs all storage will be scanned and stored "just in case"? :(
I need one of these dogs to sniff my ram packages from eBay and let me know next time I get one that's going to fail within 6 months. Son of a bitch. You know I never suspected the ram, I thought it was the hard drives failing me.
I think the cops probably need to do more old-school investigating and undercover work. I think that we need the death penalty for child molesters and life imprisonment for anyone caught in possession of or distributing child pornography. I think it'd be great if there were any tool under the law besides the second amendment with which to handle the chimo problem, but that only allows us to kill them when they're actively raping or attempting to rape our kids.
Does prohibition work? No. Does this government regularly over-reach? Yes. Can we trust law enforcement at any level to protect our children from bad people? Unfortunately, my life says no. So what is to be done? Well, we as developers and hackers and such could do a lot more of our own vigilante work, but it goes fundamentally against our beliefs in privacy and such. But I mean... what do you do with these people? I know, here's a great idea. Let's just deport them to Europe, anywhere, where they can be "recuperated" or whatever it is called. But it's not a thing that happens, rehabilitation. You're talking about people between the ages of 25 and 85 who are guilty of these crimes. This says to me that some of them get away with it for 60 odd fucking years unscathed. I'm sure there are plenty of liberal and conservatives who believe there are more "real" problems for the govenrment to focus on, but honestly, for my tax buck, you can take away everything and just put in place a Child Molestation and Pornography Eradication Bureau and I'll be completely satisfied. Throw away the army, the whole welfare state, and every law you claim that protects me. I only want this one authority to exist and I only want it to exist because I can't see any other way to stop these bastards besides using the collective violence that is the state but using it more efficiently and more regularly.
I don't disagree with you, I think it's totally unnecessary, and I think we should hold them accountable: that is, in accordance to how much child pornography in that jurisdiction an outside source believes is occurring, preferably a reputable outside source like one of the apprehended, the law enforcement must have a significant increase in CONVICTIONS (not busts, which are not necessarily based on facts or evidence).
How much of the house would be left before they gave up searching if there was nothing to be found? Police do not like suspected criminals, they aren't going to be gentle. If I were hiding a memory stick I would hide it inside the float valve in the cold water header tank, cut along the seam and melted back together. So if they were really being through enough to find something like that they would have to be ripping apart the plumbing. I wouldn't be surprised if they carry out some deliberate destruction for purposes of intimidating the suspect, hopeing they will confess in order to avert property damage.
Or some German word thats whispered during a search with the handler pointing to an area. :)
The dog then slobbers or moves ie 'alerts" - instant "probable cause"
Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
That will be the new reality. Enter the country without any electronic equipment. Buy from a 2nd hand computer/recycling shop. Use new storage in computer at one secure location via a trusted VPN and no driving around with your cheap laptop. Return computer without storage when done. Exit.
The big risk was having your laptop like device cloned at the border. Now just having a computer is part of a civil forfeiture risk.
Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
I had an idea like that once. You could take something like a Kingston MobileLite WiFi Wireless USB Card Reader, plug a Universal QI Wireless Charging Receiver into it, cut the internal battery line and route it via a reed switch, and cast the whole assembly into a big epoxy ceramic coffee mug. It only comes on when the mug has the lid with the magnet put on it the correct way, and you set the mug on a charging pad when the battery gets low. I expect if these sorts of things became common, cops would get pretty good at recognizing ones that didn't use sophisticated miniaturized electronics, and before long, if they thought it was important, they would just x-ray all your stuff with every search. The extra trouble would make it more likely that they'd make sure they convicted you of some sort of offense so that they could charge you for the expense of the search.
A small quantity of _DRUG_TYPE_ were also found.
My ism, it's full of beliefs.
For bonus points, you could add a second reed switch that shorts the battery through a resistive heating element that lays next to the micro sd card. Then when you put your MagnoGrip wrist band on the mug, it slags the memory, so long as your battery was charged.
Impressive how these dogs can detect "storage with child porn", as opposed to storage with business data. It would be interesting to try some stenography tests, to see if the dogs can sniff through that as well. Maybe the stored data has some karmatic "bits of intent" floating around that the dogs can detect, just like they can implicitly growl at burglars but not ordinary visitors.
Apparently the Rhode Island State Police posted a photo and plausible statement:
https://www.facebook.com/Rhode...
The post says the canine is "trained to detect electronic devices".
That does not look as bogus a claim as training specifically for storage media: the chemicals used in the soldering, cleaning, and IC packaging conceivably could have a detectable smell.
I hide the memory sticks inside my TV? LOL...Either this is bullshit or dumb. Hey, we were doing illegal surveillance and already knows where the perp hides his "stash", lets bring the dogs and say they can smell it, otherwise it wont be admitted in court.
It is the self-important nobodies like you that are special.
In a country where most people support the TSA, the NSA's surveillance, free speech zones, protest permits, DUI checkpoints, copyrights, patents, stop-and-frisk, unrestricted border searches, constitution-free zones, mass public surveillance conducted by the government, anti-gun laws, plea bargains, or some form of warrantless wiretapping in general, it is not difficult to be "special"; you just have to oppose all of those things.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
There was a Mythbusters where they tried to fool a drug dog. I only caught the tail end of it (no pun intended) and the only attempt I saw was the target item inside a suitcase with dirty diapers in a room full of suitcases. If I remember the wrap-up scene the dog always found the target.
I'm curious what else they tried to trick the dogs with. The cynic in me believes the cops wouldn't have cooperated if they had actually come up with a technique that worked.
I wonder if vacuum sealing works -- presuming of course you wash the exterior of the vacuum sealed container and possibly double-bagged it. I use a FoodSaver model for food items and since the sealed bag holds a vacuum, presumably there's no way for the odor to migrate out.
They probably can't, the dog more than likely alerts are just about anything with electronics, but hey that is all the "probable cause" they need.
I suspect this one will end up back at the SCOTUS They are going to be forced to expand on that ruling last year about bring a dog onto someones porch.
Repeal the 17th Amendment TODAY! Also Please Read http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html
Did you actually read the article? It's very clear they're NOT talking about merely finding concealed hard drives, but actually determining the content of the memory using a dog's sense of smell.
I saw no such claim in TFA.
However, the article does seem to add "which could contain child pornography" after every mention of a storage device. While technically true, it could just as easily have said "which could contain pictures of cats with grammatically incorrect captions" to avoid sounding so fanatical.
Just another article from the Onion.
Officer doggie is so cute! Looks like a Yellow Lab.
Are they going to distinguish this new type of K-9 unit in any way, or is he going to be rolled in with the drug dogs? Because this seems, to me, like another way to drum up "probable cause" by sicking the dog on your car and "getting a hit," which then gives the SS an excuse to shred your vehicle and rifle through your belongings.
Because who, in this day and age, doesn't carry some sort of electronic memory device with them almost everywhere they go?
Kiddie diddlers my ass, they're making a new excuse to search you.
An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
all the way through.
What if the hardware contains information that is classified at a level above that of the police's security clearance?
While technically true, it could just as easily have said "which could contain pictures of cats with grammatically incorrect captions" to avoid sounding so fanatical.
For people who distribute pictures like that, hangin's too good for 'em.
When I was sixteen a friend and I were stopped {by military police} because someone had reported gunshots in the area. We had no fire arms or drugs but the officer was certain that we did so they called the dog unit. My friend told them he was allergic to dogs and begged them to call his parents and keep the dog away from him or the car. {he was allergic to dogs and a long list of other things}
Then after ignoring him, searching with the dog, and not finding anything my friend started to have a reaction and ended up going to the hospital. The officers were dishonorably discharged and I think the one controlling the dog spent time in Leavenworth prison.
Seriously? Was it treated with something that make it smell like a dog-treat?
This is a strong case for Liquid Ass. A couple drops, then wrap the drive in a pair of undies, or something.
That's some strong nose that doggie has! Good thing they didn't have a case of blank media, or something.
In a country where most people support the TSA, the NSA's surveillance, free speech zones, protest permits, DUI checkpoints, copyrights, patents, stop-and-frisk, unrestricted border searches, constitution-free zones, mass public surveillance conducted by the government, anti-gun laws, plea bargains, or some form of warrantless wiretapping in general, it is not difficult to be "special"; you just have to oppose all of those things.
Other than financially, I don't think most people in the U.S. support any of that. Some people rant about it, others tolerate it. I have heard nobody actually applaud it other than the entities themselves and the people who profit from them.
If you are not allowed to question your government then the government has answered your question.
I have heard nobody actually applaud it other than the entities themselves and the people who profit from them.
Nobody!? Wow. You haven't paid any sort of attention at all. You've never seen someone support copyrights or patents? How about DUI checkpoints? People ignore the fact that these things violate people's fundamental liberties and/or the constitution because they think it will keep them safe from something, as if that's a justification in a country that's supposed to be 'the land of the free.'
So yeah, if you think that most people are not in support of any of that, I think you're absolutely incorrect.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
What nonsense do you speak of now? Are you coming out in support of policies and laws that violate the highest law of the land in the US and people's fundamental liberties? Furthermore, "what the grownups support" suggests you're saying that No True Grownup would ever disagree, which is just a no true Scotsman.
If you don't like it, no problem, as you are not all that special.
Actually, if you're part of an elite few that opposes all of the things I listed, then of course you'd be special in the sense that you're part of some small minority. You've done nothing to debunk that.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
How much of the house would be left before they gave up searching if there was nothing to be found?
It was wireless right? I'm stashing it my neighbors house. I never liked them much anyway :p
Deuteronomy 22 talks about sex crimes. It doesn't say sex crimes are fine, it acknowledges that they exist. I acknowledge hat you exist, but clearly you are not fine, you are in need of serious help.
Further, 28-29 talk about an unmarried woman. Only really sick people would think "hmm, slept with an unmarried woman - she must have been a little kid, and that sounds great". Suck, sick bastard.
Depends on the country. The majority of US states have "shall issue" statutes or regulations requiring the state weapon control authority to issue a permit to carry a weapon to any member of the public who meets a few straightforward criteria.
good one:)
Darrel Issa could really use this dog.
They can take my LifeAlert pendant when they pry it from my cold dead fingers.
this is utterly moronic. i guess if you want to give your grandkids some stolen bitcoin (whatever it'll be worth by then), or you want to make a dramatic deathbed confession that you provably murdered someone, you have a solution. it's not a great solution, but it'll do.
however, most of the time, criminals don't keep records of their crimes after they're finished, since that would be extremely stupid. electronic data you can't access is essentially nonexistent. drug dealers have address books because they need them. child porn enthusiasts have thumb drives of child porn because, presumably, they want to wank to it, not to feel smug about the evidence they have hidden in their plumbing. that's why we use encryption, rather than embedding our hard drives in blocks of cement, or sealing them and throwing them in the ocean.
as for intimidation factor, yeah, that's definitely part of it. i don't see how it's relevant here, however.
"They were pure niggers." – Noam Chomsky
Today they are in "Think of the children" mode. Tomorrow mission creep will kick in and it will be "Everyone is guilty of something."
Ascii artist &
Just curious; if your sword is hanging off your hip, it isn't concealed, so do you still need a "concealed carry" permit to carry it?
Some states require a permit for open carry as well.
How does the Second Amendment work, if you need permission from the government to have a weapon?
It appears that courts have interpreted the Second Amendment to allow the several states to decide which gun clubs qualify as "a well-regulated militia".
Thanks to the plea bargain system, the conviction rate already hovers in the 96% range, at least for the jurisdictions I know about (Los Angeles County for one).
~REZ~ #43301. Who'd fake being me anyway?