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Subscribe to RSSA cadre of bomb-sniffing dogs gets set to find threats at the 2012 London Olympics alongside the tens of thousands of two-legged security personnel preparing to make the city safe. Msnbc.com's F. Brinley Bruton reports.
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LONDON -- Benson’s tail wagged lazily as he weaved through the crowds in London’s St. Pancras railway station.
“Good morning ladies and gents, police dog working,” said the pooch’s handler, Graham Rowlstone of the British Transport Police, as the pair strode beneath a soaring glass-and-blue-steel ceiling. “Just making sure it’s nice and safe for you.”
Some travelers and commuters smiled, laughed and said hello to the black lab. A few petted him. But mostly the pair slipped easily through the concourse.
Suddenly, Benson cocked his ears, lifted his tail and picked up the pace. He trotted in front of a nondescript man in a dark blue fleece, sat down and looked up expectantly.
“Good morning, sir. Where are you traveling today?” Rowlstone asked.
It was a drill to show that Benson’s explosives-sniffing skills were still sharp. The dog passed the test and the man in blue – dog trainer and police officer Paul Saunders – dropped a tennis ball, which Benson chewed enthusiastically.
Dealing with threats
As Britain gears up for the estimated one million visitors expected to descend on the city for the 2012 Olympic Games, bomb-sniffing teams like Benson and Rowlstone are preparing to deal with the threats that come with the big crowds.
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Benson is a relative newcomer to the explosives-detection space, which has been long dominated by “proactive” dogs, which concentrate on inspecting places such as lost-luggage departments and suspicious packages left on trains and buses. In other words, they deal with stationary targets.
About three years ago, the British Transport Police and others began to train so-called passive dogs like Benson, which search for explosives among crowds of people, essentially following a scent until it stops.
NBC News
Officer Graham Rowlstone of the British Transport Police pats Benson after he correctly identifies a threat in London's St. Pancras Station.
Bomb-sniffer dogs are an integral part of the system in place meant to keep travelers safe and public transport running smoothly, British Transport Police Inspector Ed Purchase told msnbc.com.
“The dogs are an extended part of the security operation within London and around the country, making sure the railways are safe, members of the public are safe and that we can keep all the transport system open,” he said.
With the biggest and oldest dog unit in the country, the British Transport Police – in charge of policing Britain's railways and subways – know what they’re talking about.
Attack highly likely?
Britain has faced threats to its mass transit systems for well over a century – the first terrorist strike on London’s underground network was in the 1880s.
And just a day after the announcement was made to award the Olympics to London on July 6, 2005, the city suffered its worst peacetime attack when four suicide bombers killed 52 commuters.
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So it comes as no surprise that the issue of security on the country’s transport system weighs heavily on the minds of the Olympics organizers.
The games will see the U.K.’s largest peacetime security operation involving tens of thousands of security officials, with 13,500 military personnel, 12,000 police and 10,000 private contractors.
Current potential dangers to London come from a variety of sources including al-Qaida and related jihadi groups, right-wing extremists and Northern Ireland-related militants, according to officials.
The U.K.’s alert level is expected to be raised to “severe” during the games, meaning that an attack is considered highly likely, the government says.
Four-legged ambassadors
For Benson and his canine colleagues it will be a busy time. But while they are most valued for their keen noses, the dogs also have a key public relations role to play.
“(The dogs) are a tool … effective across a range of activities – reassurance, engagement with the public and detection – that’s why they’re attractive to us,” Superintendent Philip Trendall, of the British Transport Police's Counter Terrorism Support Unit, told msnbc.com.
“People notice us a lot more,” said Constable Tony Mart, who works with another black lab, named Pete. “They will always see a police officer with a dog. The interaction with the public is great,” he said.
British Transport Police
Benson the police dog even has his own business card.
About a dozen passives have been incorporated into the team over the last three years, Trendall said, but declined to discuss their success rates.
And he says that the dogs’ public-facing role in boosting confidence and good cheer is almost as important as its explosives-sniffing one.
“A machine that people want to come up and give a biscuit to and pat doesn’t exist,” he said.
F. Brinley Bruton is a reporter and editor with msnbc.com in London. Follow her on Twitter.
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Leave a Comment:
Hi Benson and P.C. Rowlstone , Glad you are on our side when I go to London next year .God Bless and keep you both safe
And the TSA gropes thousands and thousands of crotches and finds NOTHING.
I think they just like groping folks.
They certainly don't like groping stinky people who have bad personal hygiene, like you! Doesn't your momma always tell you to take a shower. Living in the parent's basement can cause mold to grow between your toes.
Rid our country of Anti-People politicians this November.
Go register to vote and VOTE.
Obama/Biden/Hillary.....2012
Damn Ed, that's some fan club you have.
Ed rambled on for two entire sentences and lost many readers but the question remains, "Where are the dogs in US airports?" Not as an exclusive anything but as another tool? Or is TSA just not smart enough to control dogs?
When I was in Miami airport, the dogs were everywhere. They were so well trained & keen that I was in awe of them. What useful tools they are. I felt more safe around a dog there than I did a policeman with a gun. I had to wait so I observed quite a few dogs and I was so impressed that I had a lump in my throat!
On the otherhand, when I was in the Bordeau, France airport I saw no dogs. But there were police everywhere with the 'nastiest' weapons I've ever seen. It was great for security, but I felt scared to make a sudden movement (LOL).
All over the world, get rid of Saudi, oil companies, their lobbyists and their supporters, especially politicians!
They are the root causes of most of the Islamic terrorist activities all over the world and their Salaffi and Wahhabi mosques all over the world.
left-handed banned for spamming political propaganda everywhere.
Left-handed is right on time,an awaited. Down with all INCUMBUNTS THIS Nov.. WE get rid of the Repubs that have been there forever and we WILL see just what Obama can get done with-out speacail interest interfearing with progress of America, DOWN WITH THE 1%ers
The neat part is, the dogs love their job.
Our family has been lucky enough to win tickets so we'll be going this year, it'll be great to see these wonderful dogs in action.
I got a dog that looks just like Benson. Wouldn't trade her for the world. Is a bit too focused on the chow bowl though.
If the terrorist ever hide it up another dogs butt, my dog will be the first one to find it.
Truthhurts, bless Benson but hard tellin' where some other pooches have been sniffing. And TGIT!!!
More animal cruelty. Does anybody know what these poor dogs are put through to train them for things like this? It's about time we say enough! These animals should be set free, instead of being forced to sniff out bombs, drugs, etc. It is just plain cruel. They should just use metal detectors at the Olympics - how hard is that to figure out!! Idiots!!!
plastiques are not metal.
I'm this biggest animal lover in the world and I will take up for animals before I do people. However, I find these trained dogs absolutely love what they do. You can see it on their faces. I do not in any way think this is cruelty to animals.
I think calf roping in rodeos is a true form of animal cruelty. Just once I'd love to see a calf get up, tie up a cowboy and SLAM him hard to the ground!
You are a total moron!! Service dogs absolutely thrive on their training and the work they do. It is a dog's dream to spend their whole day walking around with their beloved handler. Most officers fight to get a chance to become a K9 officer and handler of one of these wonderful dogs and the bond is unbelievable. Also as the owner and handler of a medical service dog, I can tell you the bond is unreal and the dogs are miserable if they can't be doing their job. They hate staying home! You have absolutely no idea how these dogs are trained or for that matter, any dog! An untrained dog is an unhappy dog. Just because you are a big PETA supporter who would rather see them all running loose or dead does not mean the rest of us do!
GP51 called everyone an idiot and I was deleted?
Again, explosives and glass aren't metallic. Bomb dogs have an easy life.
GP51, you say your travaling from Tarain for the olms.
cheetah: WAH!!!!
richard b: The nickname for your name fits you to a tee!!!
This is so wonderful that these dogs are trained so well to save lives but to think it is so dangerous just to walk through a place to go places that is a part of the everyday thing to do travel.
What????
pt51 you could not be more wrong. As a proud owner of both a lab and a bloodhound I can you tell you that these working dog breeds love these sorts of things. They love to train, love to exercise and love to have a mission/purpose like this. Your views on this could not be more misguided.
The dogs are the best answer to a bad problem. They are friendly and non-aggressive by training. They are hundreds of time more sensitive than any instrumentation out there. And to add to it they are mobile as described in the article.
Thumbs up mates, using the right tool for the job.
Unfortunately, I think it would be absolutely astounding if there was no 'terrorist attacks' at the London Olympics between their broad support of all the illegal US Military Conflicts and the masses of disaffected Muslims living in country and nearby EU members.
Unfortunately, Sono, you fail to mention or maybe you didn't notice that the British just recently released some hideous terrorist instead of sending hiim to Jordan to face terrorist charges there, because some mother@!$%#ing human rights cabal in the Netherlands slapped their hands for keeping the bastard in jail. The human rights outfit was afraid the poor pathetic terorist would be tortured if they sent him to Jordan to face the trial he so richly deeserves./ Never mind the damned victims of these people. And instead of telling the masturbatory human rights court to take a hike the Brits set the bastard free!!! Just in time for the Olympics in London. Not a good idea and a truly pathetic action....unfortunately it will be the innocent who suffer for these snivelingn cowards' actions.
"Current potential dangers to London come from a variety of sources including al-Qaida and related jihadi groups, right-wing extremists and Northern Ireland-related militants, according to officials."
This is the way to invent problems and then try solve them from the tail-end.
The US, British and many European nations dance as the Saudis, oil companies and their lobbyists want. All gang up to increase oil profits and make Saudi and co richer.
Now some in the US and their pals want to arm Syrian rebels supported by al-Qaida.
Rich Sunni sharks of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait and others fund al-Qaida and their Salaffi and Wahhabi versions of mosques, hate preaching and killer training centers, all over the world.
Did Britain have so many mosques before four decades and who funded them?
Who were responsible for London tube bombings and other planned Islamic terrorist acts?
These dogs are finding Items planted by their handlers. There is not one documented case of a dog EVER finding anything but a dog turd and then eating it. Look it up people. I'm kind of an expert on animal behaviour.
I swear you people believe anything on the Internet.
You are right, Jonathan.
Are you kidding? You are soooooo illinformed. Better read facts on this.
There's "NOT" been any bombs for them to find !!!
Therefore they are doing a good job as a deterrent !!!
By your user name I'm assuming that you're mad at these dogs since they ate the turd before you could?
Turd-handler. you are not very well informed as to the facts here-in and else where in the dog worlds. I think you are full of it , you know BS
Now get back into your closet
Do British dogs bark with English accents?? Just curious...
no they don't im British and why do people say english accents what is a 'english accent' Define it for me please If you go up north or south from london the accents are different no such thing as ENGLISH ACCENT
Puppiiiiieees!!!!!
Hate the Headline....but Man has no better friend this his Dog...better than a Wife, any Woemen, or best friend...Better than some Family members in some cases...
And in other parts of the world they are slaughtering and killing dogs in horrific ways because of the Olympics. They don't want visitors to see the street dogs and won't consider other options. Humans beings can be so cruel and selfish and vain and ignorant. They are happy to 'use' animals for their own gain, but don't hesitate to kill them in masses.
I do hope they retire the service dogs to good homes unlike the US Military which would prefer to kill them after they have given their all for humans.
I am a retired flight attendant and a pet portrait artist. As a flight attendant, I saw hundreds of working airport dogs. They are beloved. A Lot of them are rescues. I have seen several drug busts made by these animals. They LOVE their jobs. I have also seen Bloodhounds and Shepards in training to go after bad guys. I applaud the handlers and their animals. I am painting soldiers dogs as I write. Bless them all.
BRILLIANT ABSOLUTELY FRICKIN BRILLIANT POST!
These dogs are not Micheal Vick's or other cruelly trained attack dogs, by illegal handlers. They only take either from rescue or other sources that show an attitude and willingness. Their handlers are picked for their willingness to work and live with these animals. They become part of the family.
For a time I worked with US Army War Dogs and Guard Dogs. You didn't make a mistake around they. treated more that one handler that walked into the wrong dog pen. There is not a retraining cycle for these dogs. Before they were destroyed when the MP handlers left the service. If you want to sweat. When you had to go into those highly secret (two man rule) and an MP searched you and placed the guard dog on the other man, with his nose in your crouch to remind you to not move. YOU SWEAT!!