'Kozak is saving lives:' Electronics-sniffing K-9 is Wisconsin's latest crime-fighting resource

MADISON -- The Wisconsin Department of Justice said it has a new resource to help fight against child predators.

Joseph Mech

"Dogs' sense of smell is so much greater than ours," said Joseph Mech of the Wisconsin Department of Justice. "We smell pizza, we might be able to say it's pepperoni pizza, but the dog will smell like every ingredient that's on there."

In the fight against crime, the use of a K-9 is nothing new. What's special about a new dog on the force is that it can smell electronics.

"He'll go into a room, we let him pick up the odor, and he tells us where we need to dig," Mech said.

Kozak

Kozak the K-9 is a first-of-its-kind resource for the state of Wisconsin. It is trained to smell chemicals found in almost all major electronic devices -- from cell phones, to flash drives to everything in between.

Alicia Kozakiewicz with Kozak

"A case is only as strong as its evidence," said assault survivor Alicia Kozakiewicz.

Small bits of evidence that, when presented, have a huge influence on criminal cases.

"Finding that evidence to help us with our 'Internet Crimes Against Children' investigations is an important part of helping us make those cases," said Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul.

It's something Kozakiewicz knows all about.

Attorney General Josh Kaul

"When I was 13 years old I was groomed, and lured, from my home by an Internet predator," she said.

People take comfort knowing that Kozak is going nose-first into fighting crime.

"Kozak is saving lives," said Kozakiewicz.

Kozak is only three years old and has already been involved in dozens of cases. His handler said people all over the state are asking for his assistance.