HIDING DRUGS? CHARLIE THE DOG WILL KNOW ...

Two people were warned for possession of cannabis as a major drug
search operation hit the streets of Scarborough.

Operation Fatigue, a search operation using a "passive drugs dog",
resulted in 18 searches in total as it visited pubs and clubs in St
Nicholas Street and St Thomas Street.

The multi-agency operation, carried out jointly by the police,
Scarborough Council and local Security Industry Authority, in
co-operation with the town's licensees, was designed to send out the
message that drug use will not be tolerated in the town's clubs and
bars.

The PANDA dog (Passive Alert Narcotics Detection Animal) is Charlie, a
springer spaniel collie cross, which was on loan from British
Transport Police. Handler John Mann said: "Charlie has been trained to
detect drugs by smelling the air around a person and will then
indicate someone in possession of controlled substances in a passive
manner - basically by sitting in front of them. Once he has indicated
a person the police then have powers to detain them for a search."

Charlie, who is a rescue dog from the RSPCA, is a potent weapon in the
fight against illegal substances and can even spot the secretion of
drugs by people who have used them although they are not still in
their possession.

But the dog doesn't even know he's looking for drugs - he thinks he's
looking for his tennis ball!

He was trained first to sniff out the ball. When he mastered that,
drugs were put near the ball, and when he has learnt to find those
two, then the ball is taken away so he found just the drugs and was
then rewarded with his ball for finding them.

And Charlie has detected over 10,000 people in the seven years he has
been at work.

Although they have drugs dogs, North Yorkshire Police does not
currently have a passive detector. Acting Inspector Graeme Kynman,
leader of Saturday's operation, is currently putting in a bid for two,
who will cost £3,000 each to train.

He told the Evening News: "Though other animals can carry out property
searches very efficiently, when dealing with the public on the streets
Charlie's way of working is ideal.

"Operations like this are vital to send out the message that we are
active in the fight to keep drugs out of Scarborough - it is important
that the public see a visible presence out there."