Forensics

Inside the FBI: Iris, the FBI's Electronics Detection Canine

Mollie Halpern: [Sounds of barking.] Meet Iris. The 2-year-old black Labrador retriever is the FBI’s newest canine crime fighter.

Iris is the Bureau’s first electronics detection dog. She is trained to sniff out a specific chemical universally found in digital media.

Her nose knows no bounds. With the abundant use of digital media used in crime, Iris can assist FBI agents with all types of investigations, from cyber intrusions to terrorism.

You’ll find Special Agent Jeff Calandra holding her leash.

Jeffrey Calandra: So whether it’s a terrorism, drug case, a counterintelligence case, as well as your traditional cyber cases, child pornography cases—all those cases, those criminals use some form of digital media to either plan, store information.

Halpern: Iris and Jeff went through six weeks of handler training together. Iris completed another four weeks of training so she could be imprinted on the specific chemical.

She graduated in April—which makes her one of only of seven certified dogs in the world capable of tracking down the specific chemical.