Limerick prison sniffer dog

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paddyjnr

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I decided I would accompany an old friend of mine's 70 year old Mum to visit her son in prison today, I was horrified to hear the extent at which people were being refused entry on the basis that the dog is always right. She told me she had been refused by the dog the week previous and was fairly upset by it, also stories of priests being refused and friends all of which we could safely say do not do drugs let alone carry them with them into a prison. So I go through all the scanning, x-raying procedures and then the grand finale the sniffer dog who signals to the handler that I am also in possession of drugs and I am told to leave with my friends mum who is also not allowed entry to see her son yet again. I explain my case to them that I am a teetotaler and I am a second year addiction counsellor student to which I produce my student card, I ask them to search me but all to no avail. I total agree that everyone should be searched thoroughly but seriously something must be done with their black and white approach. Surely they cant expect a cannine to be right all the time.
 
paddyjnr said:
I decided I would accompany an old friend of mine's 70 year old Mum to visit her son in prison today, I was horrified to hear the extent at which people were being refused entry on the basis that the dog is always right. She told me she had been refused by the dog the week previous and was fairly upset by it, also stories of priests being refused and friends all of which we could safely say do not do drugs let alone carry them with them into a prison. So I go through all the scanning, x-raying procedures and then the grand finale the sniffer dog who signals to the handler that I am also in possession of drugs and I am told to leave with my friends mum who is also not allowed entry to see her son yet again. I explain my case to them that I am a teetotaler and I am a second year addiction counsellor student to which I produce my student card, I ask them to search me but all to no avail. I total agree that everyone should be searched thoroughly but seriously something must be done with their black and white approach. Surely they cant expect a cannine to be right all the time.
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I can understand their dilemma but since most drugs seem to be brought in by staff it does all appear to be a bit much.
 
paddyjnr said:
I decided I would accompany an old friend of mine's 70 year old Mum to visit her son in prison today, I was horrified to hear the extent at which people were being refused entry on the basis that the dog is always right. She told me she had been refused by the dog the week previous and was fairly upset by it, also stories of priests being refused and friends all of which we could safely say do not do drugs let alone carry them with them into a prison. So I go through all the scanning, x-raying procedures and then the grand finale the sniffer dog who signals to the handler that I am also in possession of drugs and I am told to leave with my friends mum who is also not allowed entry to see her son yet again. I explain my case to them that I am a teetotaler and I am a second year addiction counsellor student to which I produce my student card, I ask them to search me but all to no avail. I total agree that everyone should be searched thoroughly but seriously something must be done with their black and white approach. Surely they cant expect a cannine to be right all the time.
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It's the kind of thing you could take up with your local TD, Willie O'Dea or the Department of Justice. It's very unfortunate for well intentioned visitors.
 
Is drug possession not a crime? If the dog indicates that someone is in possession of drugs should that person not be handed over to the police or something?
 
gabsdot said:
Is drug possession not a crime? If the dog indicates that someone is in possession of drugs should that person not be handed over to the police or something?
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I would of thought so, if it happened in an airport I would of been taken into a room and searched properly which I was willing to do in the prison to prove the dog wrong and allow my mates mother her weekly visit..
 
Maybe a letter to the prison governor might help? I'm sure they are in a difficult bind, and doing their best to keep drugs out of the prison. But if the dog is over-sensitive, maybe the governor should know about it.
 
Ha ha very funny but seriously not quite as funny if you happen to be a visitor......It was a Springer Spaniel...
 
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Is it only drugs they have him trained to sniff for?
Or is he rejecting people based on some other scent that they might be picking up from the prison environment?
 
truthseeker said:
Is it only drugs they have him trained to sniff for?
Or is he rejecting people based on some other scent that they might be picking up from the prison environment?
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The scent of drugs no matter where it comes from. [FONT=&quot] I prepared myself for the visit with freshly washed clothes and brand new coat as the lady tells me that sometimes if you are in the vicinity of a user you’re clothes can absorb the scent which in turn will alert the dog, I drove in my own car to the prison having picked up the lady in question on the way, we left all our belongings in the car with my wife as she tells me that the key for the lockers in the prison could have being used by somebody who may have used drugs and thus transferring the scent onto our hands. The only contact we had with the prison itself was sitting on the seat in the waiting room and the prison officers tell us that every day before visitors arrive all the seats are disinfected and checked by the sniffer dog. So I can say 100% there could not of been a scent on me.[/FONT]
 
Vanilla said:
It's the kind of thing you could take up with your local TD, Willie O'Dea or the Department of Justice. It's very unfortunate for well intentioned visitors.
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Thanks Vanilla, I have written to Willie O' Dea and I am waiting for a reply.
 
If you google 'limerick prison sniffer dog' there are a number of news stories. One of them says that if you are rejected by dog you can arrange for a 'screened' visit as an alternative?

Here is the link:
[broken link removed]
 
truthseeker said:
If you google 'limerick prison sniffer dog' there are a number of news stories. One of them says that if you are rejected by dog you can arrange for a 'screened' visit as an alternative?

Here is the link:
[broken link removed]
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I was not offered a screened visit which we would of gladly taken as these visits are almost always booked out, I was offered another visit on a different day, alot of good it was for the elderly couple who travelled from up the country yesterday for their visit and were turned away i've since found out from my friends mum.She did get in yesterday and told me every second person in front of her were being turned away
 
I fail to understand why you are so surprised. They cannot be too careful and must err on the side of the system.
Drugs are a curse and in most cases are indeed brought in by visitors.
I find it hard to have any sympethy for these people who are in there for crimes against society.
 
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