On February 26, the White Plains Youth Bureau Community Youth Court had the opportunity to visit the Connecticut State Police K-9 Unit’s Nacho at the Courts.

K-9 Nacho is a black Labrador under the care of S.P.O. Stephen Denaro, Supervising Probation Officer of Westchester County Probation. S.P.O. Denaro began his probation career in the Yonkers General Field Supervision Unit and later graduated from the Connecticut State Police K-9 Academy.

Nacho is the only electronic storage detection dog in Westchester County and one of fewer than ten in New York State. He detects a distinct chemical called Triphenylphosphine oxide (TPPO), a flame-retardant compound found in almost all electronic devices.

Electronic devices—including USB drives, videotapes, phones and flash drives—can be as large as a widescreen TV or as small as a coin.

S.P.O. Denaro, alongside Nacho and his unit, assists in a variety of cases, including homicide, stalking, illegal videotaping and child sexual abuse material investigations.

Criminals can hide illegal footage inside credit cards, pens and even chess pieces.

“Not even I could find something like this,” Denaro said. “That’s where Nacho comes in.”

At crime scenes, Denaro leads Nacho around areas where electronics may be hidden. Once Nacho detects TPPO, he immediately stops and blocks out distractions. When given the command “point,” he raises his snout and taps the location of the scent.

To keep his skills sharp, Nacho trains regularly. S.P.O. Denaro carries a pouch of food at his hip to reward him when he successfully detects a device. At times, Denaro hides electronics himself to test Nacho’s accuracy.

Nacho turned three years old on February 14, 2026, and has been officially working since November 2024.

Like all K-9 dogs, he lives, works and will eventually retire with his supervising officer.

For information on how to schedule a meeting with the K-9 Probation Unit, click here.