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Sniffer dogs catch 327 drug offenders in six months
Article from: The Advertiser
JOANNA VAUGHAN
May 18, 2009 12:01am
MORE than 300 drug dealers and users - the equivalent of two each day - have been caught by four specially trained police sniffer dogs in the past six months.
But drug experts say independent studies have shown the dogs do not stop people from taking drugs and encourage more dangerous drug-taking behaviours.
Since October last year, the dogs have detected 577 ecstasy tablets, 551gms of cannabis, 11gms of amphetamines, three LSD tablets, 6gms of ketamine, 2gms of cocaine and 21 pieces of drug equipment including an ice pipe and a cocaine kit. Of the 327 people caught, 17 were arrested for drug-related offences including trafficking.
Dogs have been used 96 times in popular night spots including Hindley St, city, and Glenelg, as well as at events such as the Big Day Out, Schoolies Week in Victor Harbor and other dance raves.
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They are also used on public transport and known drug transit routes, including the Mallee Hwy, the Sturt Hwy, the Princes Hwy and the Stuart Hwy at Marla.
However, Adelaide drug researcher Dr David Caldicott said the use of sniffer dogs was likely to have had no impact on the number of people taking and selling drugs. "There is no evidence to suggest that sniffer dogs are effective on stopping people from taking drugs," he said.
"There is plenty of evidence to suggest that it encourages people to use drugs in different ways, it encourages people to use drugs that aren't regularly detected by sniffer dogs and it encourages people to use drugs in more dangerous ways. If someone were to have enough of their drugs to see them for a 12-hour period and they saw the dogs . . . there is evidence to suggest that people will consume them all at once and then you have a mass overdose."
Police Minister Michael Wright however said the Government was committed to protecting the people of SA to ensure they were safe.
"The dogs and their handlers have been working hard and producing excellent results," he said
"Police now have the power to execute drug detection operations in places identified as hotspots for drug dealing and use."
Adelaide Now