New data reveals that drug sniffer dogs in the Illawarra region are incorrect in 67% of cases, raising questions about their effectiveness. The figures, drawn from a review of NSW Police operations, show that in nearly two-thirds of instances where a dog indicated the presence of drugs, no drugs were subsequently found.
The claim originated from a 2006 NSW Ombudsman's review, which found that between February 2002 and February 2004, prohibited drugs were located in only 26% of searches following a dog indication. This equates to a 74% error rate. More recent data from NSW, collected by Greens MP David Shoebridge, shows that over the past decade, 63% of searches after a dog indication found no drugs. In 2017, the rate was 61%, and in the first five months of 2018, it was 63%.
In South Australia, the error rate is even higher, with drugs found in just 18% of searches following a dog indication in the 2017-18 financial year. Victoria Police, which uses drug detection dogs as a tactical tool, has not released comparable data. A Victoria Police spokesman stated that a dog's indication assists officers in forming reasonable suspicion for a search.
Former NSW Police dog trainer Dave Wright explained that dogs are trained to detect the odour of prohibited drugs but cannot distinguish between residual traces and actual possession. 'They're incredibly sensitive. If someone has been carrying drugs or had contact with drugs, the dogs will often pick up on that,' Wright said.
The findings have been used by the Victorian Greens to advocate for pill testing, a harm reduction service. A spokesman for the Greens noted that the high error rate undermines the reliability of drug detection dogs as a policing tool.
