A dog will quite happily handle six or seven different scents, but they will also then find derivatives of those scents. Essentially, a sniffer dog could easily be trained to target coke and MDMA, but then theyd also be able to pick up on crack and ecstasy pills, too. Whether they do it at an effective rate remains up in the air, but the fact that having drugs on you is very likely to set off a sniffer dog is just conventional wisdom, right? Festival season is well and truly in full swing, bringing hundreds of thousands of Australians out into the sun to see some of the best Festival season is well and truly in full swing, bringing hundreds of thousands of Australians out into the sun to see some of the best musicians from around Australia and the world. I've never seen sniffer dogs going into a music festival, you're pretty much expected to bring green with you. All of our dog sitting specialists are experts in dog care, providing belly rubs, fun times, and unlimited love for your pooch. Its time policy makers take a step back and actually look at the numbers. Check out r/SupportingRedditors "$6000 per hour for an operation that will mostly catch people carrying only small amounts of drugs. Oh i'm definatly not implying that your running the weed 'racket' this year by freaking out all the paranoid pot heads and then making a killing by selling it on the inside, i'm on to you this is one paranoid pot head you wont be getting the better of. Thats what happened in 2009, when according to The Age, Kalamunda teenager Gemma Thoms swallowed three ecstasy tablets before entering the Big Day Out because she was afraid shed be caught with the drugs by police and their dog units. I was shocked to see that the dog handlers occasionally and seemingly randomly behaved in the same way when dogs sniffed punters bottoms, as when they had sat bolt upright next to a suspect. This led Oxenham to an intriguing suspicion. Nunn adds: There is a limit on how much they can actually search. Cheers bud! Tuck away in a marker. Would she have lied to the first aid attendants if she wasnt worried about the consequences of doing so? 1 Bloodhound 2 Basset Hound 3 Beagle 4 German Shepherd 5 Labrador Retriever 6 Belgian Malinois 7 English Springer Spaniel 8 Coonhound 9 German Shorthaired Pointer 10 Pointer The most common trait these dogs share is their long, slender noses. This argument, she points out, has held in other jurisdictions; in one US case, Kyllo v. United States, the judge ruled that the use of thermal imaging to reveal that the defendant was growing cannabis in his house was a search, and therefore required a warrant. But amid all the arguments, one thing remains obvious: sniffer dogs detect drugs. My friend and I were both shitting ourselves because we both had stuff on us. My mom told me a story once where she stuck a little ball of opium up her `reproductive device` to take to my father in jail. Drugs dogs will be searching at all gates and anyone found attempting to bring drugs into the site may be refused entry via our new gate review teams. Drug detection dogs tracing the lines out front of music festivals has become the norm in New South Wales. But this wasnt always the case. Of those searches, illicit substances were not found on 11,248 occasions. Don't think there's much to worry about really. Once the dogs handlers are factored in, the evidence on their efficacy is even more damning. Just because the dogs can be influenced, doesn't mean they can't do their jobs. bring in glass or weapons! The ACPO Police Dog Training and Care Manual is the only document resembling official guidance on sniffer dogs. TICKETS. Last year at Rockness Festival in Scotland, a teenager died and two others were hospitalised after takinga designer drug similar to some amphetamines that is said to most closely resemble MDMA, or ecstasy, but lasts for twice as long. Israeli scientists claim to have created a robot with a "biological nose" for smelling odours. That's why we put together this list of the top ten best sniffer dog breeds you should know if you're looking for a smelly dog! We will call you to confirm your appointment. A person might have no drugs on them but may have recently smoked a joint, or that person hasnt got drugs on them or smoked anything but sat next to someone on the train who is a heavy cannabis user or had cannabis in their pocket, Nunn says. Of course, dogs with the best sense of smell are going to make the best sniffers! VICE spoke to experts to finally debunk the hearsay. Even if they found a bit of weed on you, doubt they'll do anything more than take it off you. German shepherds wont be used as sniffer dogs theyre mainly used for public order. Either way, theyre defo not for petting, babe. The More You Know: 6 Interesting Labrador Retriever Facts. The debate over the effectiveness of sniffer dogs continues to rage. More over looking for the big sashes to insure they're not being sold. Oxenham ends his article by citing a 2012 study of ecstasy users, which found a minority of users responding to the sight of drug dogs by immediately consuming all of their drugs, putting themselves at risk of overdose. You will defs get caught if you smuggle weed into the festival. Gnomicide Last yearsStereosonic,Strawberry Fields,Splendour in the Grass,andCreamfieldsall yielded large numbers of drug related offences. Indeed, the potential for [dog searches] to affect public trust adversely was the key reason for the BTP withdrawing from their use. The RMIT research, published in the International . Really trying to avoid that sort of situation completely looool. Cheers for the tips mate . During the pandemic, NSW police gave its sniffer dog operations a hiatus as the streets were empty. Why would they bring drug dogs to a music festival? The debate over the effectiveness of sniffer dogs continues to rage. Hee he with the amount of weed going in the dogs will go crazy hee he i'm planning on getting some once i'm in there since my guy finished uni and went home early. Sam Truelove Content editor. ive been told there is gonna be sniffer dogs there because of that stupid 14 year old twat that ended up in hospital for 3 days the other week through taking drugs at a rave down south so there now saying there gonna try and come down hard at all music festivals this year, well id say theyre just talking bollox really. Some promoters are trying to work the dogs teams too long and dont rotate them enough. Police dogs and their handlers staged 144 walk-throughs in the building, with the dogs given the impression that real targets were in place. Now, it remains for the UK to acknowledge that the use of sniffer dogs needs some form of legal regulation. True story, was going to a camping festival and had a lot of weed/MDMA/tabs not hidden very well in the car. They had dogs checking everyone as they came through the gate Luckily I came through the guest entrance (no dogs) but I stood and watched that dog work from a distance Basically 1 in 10 were being pulled out Now either theres a lot of terrorists who go to festivals or they were drug sniffing dogs Would be difficult for a human to find.. Under Article 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, the police have the power to search someone if they have reasonable grounds to suspect that they are in possession of illegal drugs. By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy & to receive electronic communications from Vice Media Group, which may include marketing promotions, advertisements and sponsored content. The only exception to whether a sniff is considered an illegal search, then, is if youre funnelled, delayed, targeted, interfered with, or requested to change direction to allow the dog to sniff you; this is in keeping with PACEs stipulation that the police cant stop you and then look for grounds for a physical search. er sni-fr 1 : one that sniffs: such as a : someone who sniffs a drug or other substance in order to become intoxicated a cocaine/glue sniffer b or less commonly sniffer dog : a dog that is trained to recognize and follow scents especially for the purpose of locating people or contraband (such as illicit drugs and explosives) 2 On the sniffer dog side, you can have various breeds, but spaniels and Labradors would be the main ones. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Ensure bag is tight, or can buy smell proof bags. Replacing the dogs with amnesty bins, welfare tents, and, as promoted by forensic testing organisation The Loop, on-site drug testing, could instead create an environment in which festival-goers can feel safe, and lead to some happy results in terms of harm reduction. It's also not enough to just have a good sense of smell to be a good sniffer dog. How to Manage Your Dogs Grooming Anxiety: Helpful Tips and Tricks, A Concise List of Emotional Support Dog Requirements, Are Doodles Hard to Train? Sniffer dog indications, with a 25 per cent reliability rate, can hardly be called accurate. Swallowing three pills in quick succession, Thoms soon started exhibiting strange behaviourwas escorted to a first-aid room when her teeth began to chatter and she looked sick. The conclusions drawn in the New South Wales review were damning: The use of drug detection dogs has proven to be an ineffective tool for detecting drug dealers we question whether the Drug Dogs Act will ever provide a fair, efficacious and cost-effective tool to target drug supply. made festival sniffer dogs. Dogs that have longer noses and more slender faces tend to have a better sense of scent. Victoria Police has this year started using sniffer dogs to patrol Chapel Street, a popular nightspot for young people. To keep up to date with all current information, follow the Greens' initiative, Sniff Off. At festivals, as at sports events, concerts, and organised parties, the police do not require reasonable suspicion to search you. Finding nothing, the police asked the person, whod been indicated by the drugs dogs, whether shed been sitting next to someone with a residual scent earlier in the day. Sick. Of course, her accidental overdose was just that, an accident. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below. Sniffer dogs are used in K9 detection, which encompasses more than just illegal drugs. try your own bunghole that way nobody can run away with your shit in thier hole. But that doesnt mean theyre safe. Researchers from Germany trained army dogs to sniff out infected samples ", WATCH: VICE has teamed up with harm minimisation group The Loop to bring you Safe Sesh. Other people with experience of festival sniffer dogs have said that they seem to be pretty random.I'm worried though! They are mostly used for an intimidation factor. The contents of legal highs are toxic, even plant-based ones. The Helsinki University researchers behind the trial, working with sniffer-dog specialists from the organisation Wise Nose, hope that their research will persuade the government to fund a rollout of the dogs for other uses, such as at tourist hotspots or large public gatherings. Photo:Deborah Vernon / Alamy Stock Photo, influenced by their handlers racial biases, Sniffer Dogs and The Dickhead Tax: The Secrets of Festival Drug Dealers. Probably like an hour is the absolute most youd do, and then they would have to have a decent rest. Basically, if you see the same dog knocking about at the gates all day, chances are theyve probably mentally checked out for the day. . We need to change our course on this issue. Sniffer dog on patrol at Champion Day at the 2019 Festival (Image: PA). Arbitrary sniffer dog searches to stress again, with a 25% reliability rate -- can hardly be called necessary. The use of any gas canisters or nitrous oxide (NOs) is banned across our entire . Shiiit thats intense as fuck haha. By A recent Oprah article says that "the average canine can detect scents 10,000 to 100,000 times better than the average human." Byron Bay Superintendent Stuart Wilkins was furious after the Splendour bust, claiming this culture of drug-taking at music events needs to stop, after both punters and staff were busted with illegal narcotics. The ACT legalised the personal possession, use and cultivation of cannabis on 31 January 2020. I would have thought that any sniffer dogs would be there to look for the hard drugs that could endanger someone slife (e.g herois or what not), rather than just weed. These days, seeing a sniffer dog at a train station is a regular part of life in NSW. Paste as plain text instead, The only exception to whether a sniff is considered an illegal search, then, is if you're "funnelled, delayed, targeted, interfered with . marathonsteve The rate of positive discrimination in subjects with positive SARS-CoV-2 serology and negative SARS-CoV-2 serology was 36.4% and 55.2%, respectively. Although, it did rule out five recommendations immediately, which included decriminalisation and ditching the drug dogs. Across the road from Justice Precinct carpark, Using Sniffer Dogs to Arrest Over Tiny Amounts of Cannabis. "Despite the best efforts of police officers, the use of drug detection dogs has proven to be an ineffective tool for detecting drug dealers. These drug law reforms are in line with ageneral global trend towards treating the use of psychoactive drugs as a health issue, rather than a crime. But festival season also brings with the annual stand off between Police and sniffer dogs, and patrons looking to take drugs. According to figures released by the NSW Greens, each drug dog present at a music festival comes at a cost of around $2,000 an hour. Do they only smell big quantities of drugs? But the use of sniffer dogs doesnt seem like its had much effect on the drug-taking culture. I happen to know the head sheriff of the K-9 unit at my local police department. Use your loaf, be sensible - do not. Firstly, its worth noting that not all dogs at the festival will be drug detection dogs. Sniffer Dogs, Detection Dogs, Canine Noseworkthey are all different names for a dog that is trained to detect substances/odors using their sense of smell. By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy & to receive electronic communications from Vice Media Group, which may include marketing promotions, advertisements and sponsored content. Indeed, research shows that some dogs will rely more strongly on human cues than even their own sight and smell when looking for food, even looking for food in an empty bowl that a human is pointing to, rather than a bowl full of food it can see and smell. I noticed that the Labradors followed procedure perfectly for about the first half hour of the day, sitting purposefully next to suspects. However, after half an hour or so, Oxenham noticed that the dogs spent the rest of the day casually sniffing festivalgoers bottoms. Critics say the sniffer dog program is inefficient, largely ineffective, and dangerous. There are a handful of other powers that allow police to search an individual without reasonable suspicion, such as Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2001, which permits searches without grounds at borders. Greens MP David Shoebridge claims every dog costs $2,000 an hour. Doubt they'll be looking for weed anyway, more likely Cocaine, Heroine, Shrooms and other hard drugs. Indeed, the state Liberal Nationals government has refused to adequately respond to its own inquiry into the drug ice, which takes the progressive line on drug law reform. Wonder if its common for them to strip search people Im thinking I may just go with the safest option and just put my gear in a condom and shove it up my arse to get in . ", "$2000 per hour for a dog who will 60 to 80 percent of the time sniff out someone who is not carrying any drugs $6000 per hour for an operation to subject festival goers who are not carrying drugs to strip searches," said Shoebridge, who heads up the anti-drug dog Sniff Off campaign. First Off, Some Background Info Police need to obtain a warrant to conduct a drug dog operation at events. The report showed that in 2011 New South Wales police officers carried out 14,102 searches on people as a result of a sniffer dog indicating the presence of an illegal drug. If a dog is searching a car and someones got a McDonalds bag under their seat, its still going to be motivated by that its just a dog but its rare. I mean c'mon, every person would get busted if it were for weed. rekon me and my mate can smuggle in an ounce? 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