JAIL DRUG DOGS EARN REGIONAL ROLE

DRUG detector dogs in WA prisons have been responsible for more than 500
seizures of contraband in the past year.

The big haul includes 89 quantities of cannabis, 58 quantities of illegal
tablets, 68 quantities of white powder such as heroin and amphetamine and 50
various unlawful items including weapons.

Justice Minister Michelle Roberts said yesterday drug dogs would be permanently
based at key regional prisons.

The additional dogs and handlers would be based at Albany, Bunbury, Greenough
and Wooroloo prions.

"People will take extraordinary steps in their attempts to get past our
security cordons, including having drugs concealed in the clothing of their
infant children," Mrs Roberts said.

She said extra dogs and handlers would send a strong message to would-be
traffickers that people who try will be caught.

Three new dogs and handlers joined the canine section yesterday after being
trained in multi-response. They are able to work with both public and prison
searchers.

Mrs Roberts said it meant one team could now do the work of two and the dogs
were increasingly effective.

"This means there will now be even more search operations at more prisons," she
said.

People went to extreme lengths to get contraband into jails and officers could
have strip searches and a range of other strategies but they were
time-consuming and labour-intensive, Mrs Roberts said.

"Dogs can detect these things," she said.

"A lot of drugs are brought in by visitors in a whole range of ways. What we
know we know with the dogs is that they can help us eliminate drugs from
prisons."

The additional teams at the regional prisons will begin operational duties in
June next year.