DOGGED PURSUIT OF DRUGS

Jail dealers canine target

Who let the dogs in? The Alberta government did, in an attempt to battle the
drug problem in provincial jails.

A sniffer dog will be used in all Alberta jails to check for drugs,
Solicitor General Heather Forsythe announced yesterday.

"We've brought the service dogs into Alberta correctional facilities as
another tool to sniff out drugs and deter smuggling of illicit substances,"
she said.

"It needs to be very clear illegal drugs won't be tolerated in our jails."

One dog and one RCMP handler have been tasked to do the job.

"They'll be responsible for Calgary Correctional Centre, the Calgary Remand
Centre, Lethbridge Correctional Centre, Medicine Hat Remand Centre, Peace
River Correctional Centre and the Red Deer Remand Centre," said government
spokesman Peter Tadman.

"The drug scene in jails has changed over the years and we have to get
tougher with the ways we deal with it."

The dog will also target visitors to the jails.

"All visitors are screened and the dog will be used to stop the flow of
drugs into the prisons," Tadman said.

The introduction of the dog is just one part of the province's new, tougher
rules for offenders in Alberta jails.

Other changes include: Random drug-testing of all cons, in addition to the
targeted testing currently used; a zero-tolerance policy on gang-related
activity and internal disciplinary hearings whether or not criminal charges
are laid.