THREE hours of two police dogs sniffing folk around Freo’s CBD Thursday resulted in 11 people facing drugs charges and a “dangerous” escapee from Graylands psychiatric hospital arrested after a short scuffle.
Around 10 uniformed and plain clothes police accompanied the golden retriever as it walked the streets and malls.
Most charges were for cannabis of various amounts, although one alleged dealer tried to sell prescription medicine to an undercover officer.
Detective Constable Grant Earnshaw says the operation was aimed at sniffing out drug dealers known to haunt the CBD. Although the team “goes out there trying to find the big stuff” it doesn’t turn a blind eye to the small stuff.
DC Earnshaw says people aren’t asked to walk past the dog, it simply goes for a walk and, if it shows interest in someone, that tells its handlers to take a closer look.
Except in special circumstances, police in WA need reasonable suspicion to subject someone to a search: a trained police dog singling someone out fulfils that requirement.
Robin Kickett and Kane Antony are subjected to a search after a police dog sniffed them out, but police came up empty-handed.
DC Earnshaw says one person tried to leg it after spotting the dog, and that’s grounds for a search too.
Robin Kickett was subjected to a search in Kings Square but police came up empty handed. He says the only drug he takes is an occasional drink. With people walking past and looking on as he and his belongings were searched, he said he felt harassed.
Kane Antony was also searched—again to no avail. The Englishman was surprised to learn Australian police don’t issue a receipt for a search like they do back home.
He was sore about police showing a lot more interest in him for imaginary drugs than when he tried to report being sucker-punched.
DC Earnshaw says the dogs’ hit rates are usually “very strong” and it’s extremely rare they sniff out a false positive.
Aside from the Graylands escapee, no-one else gave the police any trouble: “As soon as they see the dogs they know they’re stuffed,” he says.
Some of the police involved in Thursday’s operation, and their nose-who-knows.
Photo by Matthew Dwyer
by DAVID BELL