Do You Smell Something? Oh, It's Just a Bomb.
By Matt Wood in Miscellaneous on Feb 28, 2006 5:26PM
Chicagoist believes that the concept of homeland security is all about a delicate balance between feeling safe and being constantly reminded that you're supposed to be wet-your-pants scared every time you set foot in a crowded public place. We were acquainted with this notion when we took our first overseas trip as a teenager. Those soldiers with M-16s in the Frankfort airport sure looked like they could handle any trouble that came our way, but holy crap, what was so freaking scary that they had to wave a machine gun around at the tourists? This concept is old hat in most of the world and it's only made itself comfortable here in the States since Sept. 11, but the same rules apply. Those German shepherds at the train stations look like they can tear ass on any troublemakers, but are any of those bad guys around? Did you see one? What's that guy doing with his bag over there? Shit, get me off this train!
A CBS 2 and Sun-Times investigation found that the warm, snuggly feeling we get from seeing those Securitas bomb-sniffing dogs at Metra stations may be all smoke and mirrors anyway. An undercover tester made five separate visits to Metra stations between October and January to see if those dogs could indeed detect explosives. Last month, a hidden camera showed that the tester walked past a dog and its handler three times at the Ogilvie Center with a pound of explosives in his luggage, and even set the bag down in front of the dog for 30 seconds, but it didn't budge. The handlers also spent most of their time in one spot talking to each other, rarely moving to search the station.
A Metra spokesperson says that the dogs aren't trained to detect explosives on passing commuters, rather, they are trained to search suspicious packages on demand. They did admit that the teams should have been roving the station and platforms, actively searching for explosives. Securitas says the dogs were doing exactly what they are trained to do; they don't actively sniff for explosives unless their handler commands them, and can't be expected to detect bombs on thousands of passing commuters every day. Metra opted for this type of dog, which searches packages and conducts sweeps, over "personnel dogs" who actively search passersby. However, a Cook County Sheriff bomb squad expert told reporters that a properly-trained dog should have been able to detect the scent of explosives on someone standing nearby, and especially coming from a stationary package. Metra officials have since ordered the teams to continuously sweep stations, and are in the process of reviewing Securitas' contract.
And as luck would have it, Monday morning a dog detected explosives in a trash can--a false hit, but it still closed down the station for an hour. The effort was there though, nice work Securitas. A good fake scare can make us feel as safe as a real thwarted attack right?
Image via CBS 2 Chicago