Harley, a canine agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, works the International Conference on Cyber Security at Fordham University this week. SARA CASTELLANOS/THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
NEW YORK — This week’s International Conference on Cyber Security, hosted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Fordham University, attracted high-level government officials to discuss trends in cyber crime, including FBI director Christopher Wray. But one FBI staffer stole the spotlight with her immaculate yellow coat and wet nose.
Harley, a two-year-old Labrador Retriever, works with the FBI’s New York outpost and the Westchester County Police Department. She finds flash drives, hard drives, SIM cards and other storage devices in criminal cases where electronic evidence is sought.
“She is a regular co-worker to all in the office and she gets a lot of visitors,” said Detective Brett Hochron at the Westchester County Police Department.
Attendees of the conference swooned over Harley, who was there to show how canines can help law enforcement officials in criminal cases. She practiced sniffing for electronics in the staged environment, Mr. Hochron said.
Harley joined the FBI last August after graduating from the Connecticut State Police K9 Academy, he said, adding that she is the only electronic storage device detection dog in the state of New York. “She loves work,” he said. With rising cybercrime, she’ll get a lot of it. — Sara Castellanos