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There is evidence at virtually every crime scene that can be used to link the criminal with the crime, and yet is being ignored by almost every detective. This evidence cannot be seen, smelled, tasted, weighed, or measured by the crime scene technician and yet it is almost always there and can be collected and used. Most detectives are unaware this evidence even exists, or if they are among the few that do know it exists, they probably work for an agency or department that can't make use of the evidence.

So why is it that most law enforcement agencies are unable to use this evidence to make the link? Does the equipment cost so much they can't afford it, or, is the technology so new the equipment is not available, or, it the evidence so controversial it can't yet be used? None of these reasons tells the story. Even the FBI doesn't have what it takes, and what agency has deeper pockets to afford the best of everything? The technology is not new, in fact it is rather old, and was first used by law enforcement in the early 1800's and is by all means "low tech". It may be somewhat controversial, but the evidence is allowed in most states, in U.S. Federal courts, has been upheld by the Supreme Court, and is allowed in many foreign courts. The expense can be a problem, but the basic "equipment" will usually cost less that a few thousand dollars. Training is the real problem, usually taking up to 300 hours of training to end up with a reliable "technician" able to dependably work with the "equipment".

So, what is this evidence, and what does it take so it can be used to help solve your case? It is "Scent Evidence", and the "equipment" is a well-trained Bloodhound, and the "technician" is a well-trained Handler, and together they can provide the link connecting the criminal to your crime.

A well-trained "Scent Evidence" team is an investigative tool, and as such will contribute reliable information and evidence that will to varying degrees help solve your case. Only rarely do we get to hand a fully solved case over to the investigating officer, usually we are one "piece of the puzzle".

BACKGROUND. I have been training and working bloodhounds since 1989. At first I was involved in Search and Rescue for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Since 1996 I have been utilizing my bloodhounds in criminal investigation. I have deployed with my bloodhounds on approximately 800 cases, and over 650 of these were major felony investigations. I am currently the only bloodhound handler working for the Sheriff's Dept., and I also cover requests from the L.A.P.D., and numerous other departments and agencies. I limit my responses to homicides, officer-involved shootings, rapes, kidnappings, major calls from arson/explosives units, and selected other major violent felonies. I am a court designated expert witness in both "Scent Evidence" and as a bloodhound handler. I also do the crime scene scent collection with the Scent transfer Unit (S.T.U.) on most of the cases I work. I am slated to become the trainer for future bloodhounds and handlers for the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department.

WHAT IS SCENT? Scent, as it applies to bloodhounds is a combination of skin particles, perspiration, oils, bacteria, and many other components that is continuously being shed as microscopic particles by each and every one of our bodies. This scent is ALWAYS being left behind wherever a person goes, wherever they walk, on whatever they wear, touch, or handle. It is NOT perfume, deodorant, soap (or lack of), etc. An individual's scent remains constant over long periods of time, possibly their entire life. It is most likely as individual as their fingerprint, and a well trained dog can follow it, identify it,and/or match it. Scent is tough. Scent left on evidence objects remains viable for weeks, months, and even years. The scent trail a person leaves as they walk lasts for many days or weeks. Scent can remain on articles that are burned and on fragments of detonated bombs. Each criminal will leave his or her scent particles behind at the crime scene. The detective working with a Scent Evidence team then has to figure out where it is, how to collect it, and then how to put it to use.

WHAT IS SCENT EVIDENCE? Scent Evidence is the collection and preservation of human scent, and/or the use of human scent with specially trained dogs to do any of the following:
Follow a person's scent trail ("man trailing")
Identification of a person by scent
Identification of a location by scent
Matching of scent from one item to another (scent line-up)

SCENT EVIDENCE COLLECTION. In order to use scent from a crime scene with a bloodhound, you must first collect it in a manner that it can then be preserved and/or presented to the dog to smell. Scent can be collected in a number of ways.
First, the dog can be "direct" scented, that is the dog is allowed to smell the object presumed to have the suspect's scent on it. This is the "old Stand-by" method used by Search and Rescue dogs for decades, where the dog is presented with an item of the missing person's clothing to smell. The problem with this method when doing criminal investigations is that the dog can inadvertently ruin other evidence on that object, such as fingerprints, DNA specimens, etc.