I don't think you know what you're talking about, or at the very least, your supposed sheriff friend doesn't know shit. Firstly, its worth noting that not all dogs at the festival will be drug detection dogs. Almost 100% of the time its bomb dogs not drug, put it up where the sun don't shine always works. The big headliners, wacky outfits and general feel-good factor they provide will always make them very popular. And the territory government has just indicated it will bedecriminalising the personal possession and use of the most popularly used illicit substances in Canberra. They are untested on humans and they do kill. But seeing that Ive been to dozens of fest and only seen German Shepards Id suspect you will be fine regardless. Been to a ton of festivals with dogs. In actuality, dog sniffs are hit and miss, and so their usefulness in providing legal grounds for a search can be seriously called into question; using sniffer dogs and subsequent searches so extensively, then, amounts to performing almost-blanket searches on whoever happens to be nearby. made festival sniffer dogs. At festivals, as at sports events, concerts, and organised parties, the police do not require reasonable suspicion to search you. Oxenhams research led him to a groundbreaking 2011 study by Lisa Lit published in the journal Animal Cognition. The use of sniffer dogs at Manchester Airport has been criticised after dogs there failed to discover any Class A drugs in a seven-month period. Thanks for the tips though. Learn about the Basset Hound, Beagle, Belgian Malinois, and more. That means in three-quarters of cases, the dogs were wrong. Yeah thats a good idea about the sunglasses, definitely gonna do that. In other words, alerts caused by handler bias far outstrip alerts caused by dogs excited by treats. Sniffer dogs will be used and prosecutions made. Scrolling through theSniff Off Facebook page, its clear from recent posts warning as to the whereabouts of NSW police officers deployed with accompanying drug detecting labradors that this antiquated law enforcement practice is back in full swing. Photo:Deborah Vernon / Alamy Stock Photo, influenced by their handlers racial biases, Sniffer Dogs and The Dickhead Tax: The Secrets of Festival Drug Dealers. What implications does this have for the legality of their use? Itll start with someones weird mate-of-a-mate saying they saw Frank Ocean in the guest area or Lordes tour bus pull up by main stage and, from there, evolve until it becomes the bloke from Alt-J is doing a secret deep house set in the slam tent. Worse, could the use of dogs actuallybe adding to the risk of harm by those determined to take drugs at festivals? Critics say the sniffer dog program is inefficient, largely ineffective, and dangerous. In the study, researchers tested the efficacy of drugs dogs and their handlers, with some tweaks to the traditional dog training methods. Over 100 were busted with illicit substance at Sydneys Big Day Out just this weekend. (other than registered guide or hearing . 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. Its also been said that the dogs get it wrong most of the time, with experts increasingly questioning the use of drug sniffer dogs in policing and new research finding that they can be influenced by their handlers racial biases. First Off, Some Background Info Police need to obtain a warrant to conduct a drug dog operation at events. Moderator. That's why these are the best sniffer dogs. Following the inquest Ms Grahame made 28 recommendations to various government departments, the Australian Festivals Association and a private first aid contractor used at large live music events. Giving consent to search as a condition of entry means that police can effectively conduct blanket searches, with dogs or otherwise. Caught with a cocktail of drugs - hash, MDMA, ecstasy, cocaine, ketamine and coke - worth around $3000. Dogs will often sniff their way through cars, bags, and up and down the legs of festival goers. https://www.rollitup.org/general-marijuana-growing/19531-sniffer-dogs-what-you-need-2.html#post198793, http://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/node/8634. The use of sniffer dogs, sometimes known as passive alert detection dogs, is a part of general police practice across the world, having seen their first use in the UK as early as 1888. The presence of sniffer dogs at festivals is making people choose to take drugs earlier, faster or in higher quantities, research has found. I acted as a police escort at a festy in the US where i would yell out loud every few seconds that the cops were coming so they had no chance on sneaking up on anybody. The BTP were the police force mainly responsible for the huge number of untargeted, intrusive sniffer dog operations at train and underground stations. Facing The Music. By AFP Today, 9:45 pm. German Shepherd Yet another extremely common dog breed used by the police forces is the German shepherd. With that in mind, let us talk about how much does a sniffer dog cost. Doubt they'll be looking for weed anyway, more likely Cocaine, Heroine, Shrooms and other hard drugs. news. 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. 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. And an indication from a drug dog can be all the police need to search you without your consent. They're also capable of tracking scent through the air. They helped reopen the Miami Wine and Food Festival by sniffing out the masks of large numbers of attendees. Sniffer dog indications, with a 25 per cent reliability rate, can hardly be called accurate. German Shepards and BloodHounds. During the pandemic, NSW police gave its sniffer dog operations a hiatus as the streets were empty. The reason why not is found in the small print of the ticket: Entry, it tends to say, is under the condition of being searched. The police were obviouly on the prowl and i witnessed many people being singled out simply because of the wey they dressed or were presenting themselves. In the US the police force use two different types of dogs here. funny you say that my best mates sister who's a model to boot stored all our gear up there once Lol Im considering asking a lady friend to do a bit of ''storage'. The first phase of training begins when dogs are aged between six and nine months. Save pages and articles youre most interested in to read later on. Once the dogs handlers are factored in, the evidence on their efficacy is even more damning. Roger Flett, a former army dog trainer currently working at the National Association of Specialist Dog Users, says: You can train several target scents. Indeed, the potential for [dog searches] to affect public trust adversely was the key reason for the BTP withdrawing from their use. I recently spent a full day at a major music festival observing police drugs dogs sniffing around the entrance, while their handlers bundled off festivalgoers into a nearby tent to have their internal orifices examined by policemen with latex gloves, Oxenham writes. Stumbled across this today, it suggests the way festival goers are corralled in order to be sniffed on entry may be illegal. Ombudsman Bruce Barbour found police uncovered drugs only 26 percent of the time that dogs gave a positive indication. Paste as plain text instead, Additionally, TrainThatPooch.com participates in various other affiliate programs, and we sometimes get a commission through purchases made through our links. If you agree to a search with security, they can only check your bags, pockets and outer layers of clothing and only on entrance to the premises. NSW Police sniffer dogs at a music festival in Sydney in 2016. Credit: Fairfax Media The City of Sydney agreed on Monday night to give WorldPride another $300,000 to help beautify Oxford Street . A bouncer once found my mates stash and he didn't give it a second look, just handed it back and said enjoy your weekend. Freedom of Information requests found that only 12 percent of those searched as a result of a dog indication were found to be in possession of drugs. If they were real drug sniffing dogs they would have a heart attack from being so surrounded by drugs. And an indication from a drug dog can be all the police need to search you without your. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below. The price range of sniffer dogs runs from 3,000 to over 10,000. And every year we get the same results. Meh i'm still bringing a 10 bag. Started Tuesday at 08:50 PM, For gig news, info & tickets see eGigs.co.uk, copyright eFestivals.co.uk 1998-2023 lol, This made me think about something funny. The Dynamic Dachshund A.K.A, Weiner Or Sausage Dog. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Here's a list of the top 8 sniffer dog breeds. "Man-made technologies still can't compete with millions of years of evolution," said the researchers. Maybe not. The contents of legal highs are toxic, even plant-based ones. The article Festival Season, Sniffer Dogs and Searches - Your Guide to Dealing With Police at a Festival is written by Josh Harris, Senior Lawyer, Doogue + George Defence Lawyers. The experiment was double blind; the experimenters were not aware whether a location was a decoy containing a pair of sausages or a decoy containing what the handlers had been led to believe was cannabis.. Yet, nowadays, officers are back to staking out trains stations with the canines and running them through a sizable number of crowded bars. But why? Its hard not to feel though that music is often used as a political football when it comes to drug policy, and its not just music festivals who draw the short straw. So not only are sniffer dogs completely ineffective, but the presence of these dogs and the fear and intimidation theyre deliberately used for, can in fact be a grave detriment to the health and wellbeing of those who decide to use drugs. Who doesnt like a few good drug busts to get the clicks or sell some papers? marathonsteve We go to great lengths to help users better understand their dogs; however, the content on this blog is not a substitute for veterinary guidance. 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. They may signal that someone is carrying drugs when they are not, or they might fail to identify someone who does have drugs on them. But a dog could still sniff it. Drug detection dogs tracing the lines out front of music festivals has become the norm in New South Wales. Reasonable suspicion, it stipulates, has to be based on accurate information. There are many reasons you may consider getting drug-sniffing dogs. Mission failed she went back and the ball was nowhere to be found. It's a safe bet that most dogs in fesitivals are inexperienced or being trained for crowd control, not actual drug sniffing dogs. We're constantly posting new great articles like this one. Don't look sketchy and you'll be fine, get past them all the time. The truth is, however, that the use of sniffer dogs has managed simply to slip through the net. The UK does not have any laws or regulations on . The Premier . Copyright 2020 by Train That Pooch. By I didnt know they have a strip search tent at the festival though?! They are really focused.. Overall, the bloodhound is the best choice because they are big and can be intimidating, easy to train, and more than qualified for the job. On the first day of the inquest into her death, the court heard that the 17 year old swallowed all her ecstacy tablets as they arrived at the festival because she feared that the pills could be confiscated if police dogs were present. Yet, nowadays, officers are back to staking out trains stations with the canines and running them through a sizable number of crowded bars. Last yearsStereosonic,Strawberry Fields,Splendour in the Grass,andCreamfieldsall yielded large numbers of drug related offences. These days, seeing a sniffer dog at a train station is a regular part of life in NSW. Perhaps most telling, despite the fear she felt, it didnt stop her from taking drugs. Check out our sniffer dog selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. Similarly to the cases above, it was introduced after the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the use of surveillance technology, namely phone tapping devices, lacked a basis in legislation and was therefore illegal. lucky me eh? Sam Truelove Content editor. "They then pull me out of the line . @angel . big myth about sniffer dogs In the early 2000s, NSW became the first state to introduce drug detection dugs. 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. The Pomeranian Big Dog In a Little Body! The very fear that theparliamentarysecretary of the police described. Most people will have a quick search made by security. You cannot paste images directly. It would seem, then, that the reliability of sniffer dogs can be seriously called into question. But festival season also brings with the annual stand off between Police and sniffer dogs, and patrons looking to take drugs. Not only are drug dogs unnecessarily used to hound citizens over searches resulting in nothing two-thirds to three-quarters of the time, or else uncovering small amounts of cannabis, but, as the coroner has found, their presence at events encourages dangerous drug-taking that leads to deaths. Since then, police have been regularly patrolling music venues looking for all manner of banned substances from the unsuspecting public. 'Extraordinary rise' in strip-searches by . So just don't look shady. According to the studies, yes. Reliable sources have alleged that individuals with interests in drugs dogs have tried to shut down her research., some dogs will rely more strongly on human cues, dogs are able to interpret human eye contact. 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. You can post now and register later. #1. But just how effective are these dogs - and what does this mean for your rights? Whilst acknowledging that there is an element of error he stressed that the use of the dogs also creates an element of fear in people with drugs., Byron Bay Superintendent Stuart Wilkins was furious after the Splendour bust, 100 were busted with illicit substance at Sydneys Big Day Out just this weekend, a teenager died and two others were hospitalised after takinga designer drug, NSW Government introduced legislation allowing the broad and every day use of sniffer dogs, regularly patrolling music venues looking for all manner of banned substances from the unsuspecting public. I was at spring awakening in chicago waiting in line with my boy when a german shepherd comes up to this guy about 6 feet away from us, smell his crotch, and sits down with his nose pointed at guy. The Police Powers (Drug Detection Dogs) Act 2001 gives police the right to use sniffer dogs outside any venue selling alcohol, any sporting match or music festival, train station, at any public place in Kings Cross, andinterestinglyinside any tattoo parlour. You could also work at school and want to make sure your students are safe. We all play this game, Tone Deaf included. Then be sure to leave a comment and check out the rest of our site! "One area in which we particularly lag behind the animal world is that of smell perception. 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. Taken from the FAQ on the OFFICIAL DOWNLOAD SITE! The study found that 85 per cent of the 144 expeditions resulted in at least one alert by the dogs despite the lack of any real targets. Tuck away in a marker. 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? eFestivals forums without the adverts. Festivals, unfortunately, represent one of the few caveats to the above. So be warned. And even then, if they open your bag and search, as long as it's hidden well enough i doubt it'd be a problem. 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. What about the myth that they can only track one type of drug at a time? 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. We need to demand that we be allowed to go about our daily lives, and enjoy music without the interference of politicians and police looking to score a headline. The vast majority of "drug dogs" aren't actually trained drug dogs. Why would they bring drug dogs to a music festival? As music lovers we need to demand an end to this prejudice. 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? If they had to stop everyone a dog smelt with weed the que would still be there come friday night. Police dogs and their handlers staged 144 walk-throughs in the building, with the dogs given the impression that real targets were in place. fair play that's pretty reassuring! The Rockness tragedy and the 2009 death at Big Day Out are just more examples of moral bankruptcy in ongoing war on drugs, which see policy makers focused on fear and punishment at the expense of these young people and their lives. But amid all the arguments, one thing remains obvious: sniffer dogs detect drugs. Every year, police and their dog operations return to some of Australias most iconic and loved festivals on the calendar, searching the pockets of hundreds of patrons for everything from cannibis, to amphetamines and ecstasy, and everything in between. Ive always wondered, what happens to a sniffer dog when someone shares a flat with a bunch of stoners or someone travelling after having been with their mates at a party etc. This is an unbeatable method that i use and would HIGHLY recommend. Its quite a boring job for the dog very repetitive and the dogs get tired. Check out r/SupportingRedditors I live in the US and i have most definitely seen german shepherd's sniff drugs on people. Display as a link instead, Tick to subscribe, untick to unsubscribe from any newsletters below: Get unlimited access to the coverage that shapes our culture. The use of sniffer dogs, sometimes known as "passive alert detection dogs", is a part of general police practice across the world, having seen their first use in the UK as early as 1888 . . Anyway to answer your first questions, dogs brains are able to separate individual scents. Their aim, according to police, was to "target drug supply" and "attack the root . - and that way we should avoid any unnecessary queuing! Firstly, this shouldnt be a discussion about the merits of taking drugs, illegal or otherwise. and now a completely random series of photographs having nothing to do with the op: dont go with the hype/they are explosive dogs,sweated much before realizing that, cops aint gonna let there killer dogs walk up and sniff u and they dont sniff for it unless there told. The campaign has been posting warnings about drug dog operationssince late 2014. The warrantless use of sniffer dogs in the community commenced following the 2000 Sydney Olympics and laws clarifying and expanding their use were passed in 2001. Theres a reason why dogs have historically been trained to sniff out contraband, Nunn says: A dog has got something like 250 million nose receptors and weve got like two million. Cheers for the tips mate . It was called Oscar and was a active police dog. For a smoother and faster entry into the festival, please have your tickets out and ready to scan upon arrival. Of course, dogs with the best sense of smell are going to make the best sniffers! No test which has an 80 per cent error rate could be considered a reasonable basis on which to conduct an intrusive public search of a citizen going about their daily business, Shoebridge said at the time.