Double Duty for SLED’s Newest Hires

SLED is proud to announce the addition of two Agents to its Special Victims Unit: Special Agent Benjy Partain and his partner, K9 Chip.

The two have been a team since 2022 and bring an in-demand skill set to state law enforcement. K9 Chip is an electronic scent detection canine and a certified therapy dog. Agent Partain is Chips handler. 

"In their new roles, Agent Partain and K9 Chip will be available to assist child victims who participate in forensic interviews and support them during courtroom testimony.” said Special Victims Unit Captain Trista Baird. "Their ability to also assist our agents who routinely investigate traumatic and emotionally challenging cases will be an incredible asset to our unit. The support they can provide to both victims and agents will strengthen our ability to serve the most vulnerable populations in our state.” 

The Special Victims Unit is comprised of the Department of Child Fatalities, the Forensic Art Unit, the Vulnerable Adults Investigations Unit, and SLED Forensic Interviewers.   

“A K9 like Chip can bring a sense of calm to an office, reduce stress, and offer moral support,” said Special Victims Unit Lieutenant April Sykes. “Having this valuable resource will assist the unit in navigating the ongoing mental, physical, and emotional impact that violent crime has on individuals working in this field." 

Chip is also trained to find hidden electronic storage devices that may contain critical evidence in criminal investigations. Chip can smell a chemical compound found on items used to store child sex abuse materials, such as cell phones, tablets, laptops, hard drives, thumb drives, SD cards, microSD cards, SIM cards, hidden cameras, recording devices, GPS trackers, and other digital storage media. 

“These items can be hidden in walls, vents, furniture, vehicles, clothing, drawers, ceilings, insulation, trash, false compartments, cars, and outdoor locations where officers may not be able to see during a search,” Partain said. 

During their partnership, Partain says the team successfully completed 450 searches and located 1,698 devices. He says Chip also rescued two girls who were actively being abused. “Not only was Chip able to search and locate the evidence needed to rescue the children, but he was also responsible for finding the evidence to bring the perpetrators to justice,” he  said.            

Prior to joining SLED, Partain worked for the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole & Pardon Services (SCDPPP). Partain and Chip became a team when Defenders for Children, a nonprofit organization, donated Chip to SCDPPP. Then, Jordan Detection K-9, a company that trains and pairs K9s and handlers for specialized scent detection in law enforcement, trained Chip and Partain.

“We are both so honored and proud to be able to serve an amazing Agency such as SLED and look forward to working with the Special Victims Unit,” Partain said.