NEW YORK – The NYPD upgrades its bomb-sensing dogs to stay ahead of the advances in terrorism. No, they’re not robot dogs. Instead, these four-legged officers are equipped with TREDD technology, which stands for “Transit Enhanced Detection Dog.”
TREDD is an advanced explosives detection system that enables trained K-9s to detect more substances, such as radiation or other biological and chemical agents, that dogs’ noses cannot sense, according to FOX News. According to the report, the K-9s wear a special harness equipped with electronic sensors that send information back to the mobile command post.
According to a report, the NYPD created the technology and is the first agency to use TREDD.
Lt. John Pappas, commander of the K-9 Transit Bureau, says he got the idea after realizing terrorist groups are finding ways to circumvent the city’s anti-terrorist security measures, FOX News reports.
“I found … that international terrorist organizations such as Al-Qaeda, ISIS and many others were deliberately creating a loophole in our dog-specific detection capability,” Pappas told Fox News. “They started creating unconventional explosive devices, things that they knew … these dogs can’t detect.”
Using grants, Pappas and the NYPD worked with Blueforce Development Corporation to develop TREDD. The first version of TREDD debuted in 2015, but has recently been refined, according to a report. Pappas said the TREDD K-9s were used after the shootings on the subway on April 12.
“We had these units deployed there, and I knew exactly where they were,” Pappas told FOX News. “And I would rearrange my pieces to make sure I covered any areas that needed to be swept up.”
Pappas says the NYPD has shared TREDD information with the Pentagon and other partners.
“There is no point in accumulating it when there is such a threat against all of us. It’s not just a threat to New York, ”Pappas told FOX News.
An insightful demonstration of our dogs’ abilities for our young police explorers during a tour of the Transit K9 complex. Puppies would love to see daily visits given all the extra belly rubs and back pats 🙂 pic.twitter.com/xknrOBY2XI
