Three new drug detection dogs have joined Corrections, charged with the mission of keeping drugs out of prisons.
Following their graduation with first class honours from the Police Dog Training College, two dogs were presented to existing Corrections’ dog handlers, while Barry Nelsen and dog Harley have joined the Southern Prisons Drug Detection Team.
“The police training programme we went through was a fantastic start for us and I am really looking forward to putting all we’ve learned into action,” says Barry.
“Drug dog teams are an important part of Corrections’ drug strategy,” says National Crime Prevention Coordinator Tony Coyle. “They play a major role in locating drugs on prison property and deterring people from attempting to smuggle them in the first place.”
“Our drug reduction strategy is focusing on prison border prevention - that is, stopping the drugs from getting into prisons - and the dog teams have a significant impact on that,” says Tony.
Within prisons, drugs encourage debts, disorder problems, and stand-over tactics as prisoners pressure others to bring in banned items.
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ISSN 1178-8453