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  • AADD Moderators: swilow | Vagabond696

sniffer dogs?

B

baud

Bluelighter
Joined
Jan 22, 2003
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27
What are your views on them?

I cant help but notice an increasing number around the Sydney region and i to be honest at times find them to be quite invasive with their methods.

Even sitting in a public park you often find these dogs walking around sniffing you in places you may consider off limits.

Despite doing their job to keep drugs off the streets i do believe at times these animals cross the line and instead become an invasion of privacy

What about everyone else?
 
While enjoying an anonymous event some 5 months ago at Homebush bay, I witnessed something pretty fucking scary...

I'm standing in the crowd, having a cigarette. A sniffer dog comes into sight... It seems to be meandering around aimlessly, with the police following it's lead and talking away. It approached a guy 5m from me, who was talking on his mobile phone. It sniffed around his leg and sat down. I couldn't believe my eyes... I followed at a distance as they then led him to a quieter area, made him empty his pockets and upon inspecting what was in there, arrested him.

While I agree that the actions of these dogs could be considered invasive, I can see why the police have them... They're a great scare tactic - how many ravers shit their dacks when they hear the words "sniffer dog"? And also, as what I witnessed proves... They're effective.

:\
 
Hmm... I wonder if that's their way of getting around the reasonable suspicion to search? Sniffer dogs by law qualify as conducting a search of a suspect AFAIK, though this legal area seems somewhat grey given the recent surge in the use of sniffer dogs in public in NSW. In order for police to search you they have to have reasonable suspicion that you possess drugs... and I'm not sure whether 'being at a nightclub/party, wearing fluro clothes' constitutes reason to search.

So, if they're wandering around with the dog, and it accidentally happens to sit down next to someone quite at random ;), who the officers at some time later decided they smelt marijuana smoke downwind from ;), and then searched the person and just happened to find some drugs in their pockets quite at random...;) could they be accused of indirectly searching a person without cause? Still I guess if you're busted you're busted. Will be interesting to see if anyone gets searched and is NOT in possession of drugs, and takes legal action as a protest.

BigTrancer :)
 
Just reading over past threads about sniffer dogs I came up with a number of questions.

1. Does anyone know why sniffer dogs are commonly used in NSW/Sydney and around large parties there, but not in Victoria? I mean, both states have a Labor government in power. I guess this is more of a political question, but why the difference in approach to drug detection in Victoria and NSW? (And just for the record, I'd like to personally thank god that I live in Vic) What about nightclub searches/busts? Does it relate back to the Tasty stripsearch incident and is this why in Victoria clubs like... oops... almost named some there... aren't regularly searched by police with sniffer dogs?

I personally, in the twenty odd years that I've lived here have never seen a police sniffer dog (except myself in the mirror at 4am on a Sunday morning, I can sniff out MD within 100km =D)

2. This quote from the snifferdogalert.com site (which is now gone btw):
Here are some things you should remember if you are stopped by a snifferdog.
You must get the officer searching you to right (sic) down in their official police notebook that you do not consent to the search.
The only things you are required by law to tell the police are your name and address.
You do not have to answer any other questions without a solicitor (or if under 18 - legal guardian) present.
If questioned anything about anything at all, simply remain silent.
After being searched, make your complaint by writing to [your state] Ombudsman, include the details of your search as well as your complaint.
If you are charged there are a number of organisations prepared to help you fight your case. [...] contact one of the legal aid centres or solicitors listed in the links section.
This information should not be treated as professional legal advice. If you are caught and/or charged, seek professional legal advice.
Click to expand...

which BT posted in the last thread (http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/showthread.php?postid=590181#post590181). Does this relate only to NSW? Does it make any difference in a court of law whether you consent to a search or not?

I know these aren't easy questions.
 
Cheers for finding the new link. From snifferdogalert:

The Law

Until the early hours of Friday December 14th 2001 it was unlawful in NSW to search people without reasonable grounds.

New laws passed by State Parliament allow the police to use the dogs without any “reasonable suspicion” in designated areas. What this means is that the police can now use the sniffer dogs to legally stop and search people that they don’t have any evidence about and that they don’t have a ‘reasonable suspicion’ that they have done something illegal.

The bill allows the police to target innocent people and to subject them to embarrassing public searches for no reason. This is the sort of conduct you would expect from the KGB in Soviet Russia, not from the NSW Police against innocent bystanders.

In May 2002 restrictions were removed from the bill, allowing NSW Police to use drug sniffing dogs on public transport - effectively targeting the unemployed and low to middle income earners.
Click to expand...

Thanks, BT :)
 
yes i just feel its an interesting discussion on the weekend at homebush i couldnt help but notice one right outside the ticket gates and many people were pratically running to get away from it. The manner in which these dogs approach you can at times be quite intimidating in itself i feel i know i for one dont feel comfortable with a large animal smelling around my crutch area :(
 
KraZeeY said:
Sydney has heaps of left over dogs from the olympics.
Click to expand...

Yeah but not all of them are for drug dectection, Most of them would be for bombs and the like, They are trained in a different way, Thats how i always thought it worked.
 
The dogs are actuallly trained to pick up the odours of talcum powder, chuppa chups and stanky club sweat combination ... ;)
 
They probably have a few more by now but as of late last year the NSW police only had 12 drug detection dogs. Australian Customs Service have quite a few more and sometimes the police can acquire the services of customs agent, but i there has to be some link to customs work.

A sniffer dog costs $90000/year to maintain, this includes the supervising officers salary, training the dog, kenneling, food, etc. The police can get a fully decked out highway persuit vehicles for less, so the cost alone means that employing heaps of sniffer dogs is not practical
 
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