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Dogs sniff out terrorists at London Olympics
Dozens of highly trained bomb-sniffing dogs are preparing to protect the city of London when the summer Olympics kick off in July.
Mon, Mar 19 2012 at 11:12 AM
Photo: British Transport Police
An estimated 1 million visitors are expected to travel to London for the 2012 Olympic Games, and with large crowds comes the threat of a terrorist attack. The city is preparing for this influx of people in a variety of ways, and bomb-sniffing dogs are one of its first lines of defense against the threat of an attack.
The British Transport Police, which protects Britain’s subways and railways, is the largest and oldest dog unit in the United Kingdom, and it’s been using “proactive” dogs to guard London’s transportation system for years. These canines focus on inspecting specific places within in the transit system and investigating suspicious luggage left on trains or buses.
However, three years ago, the BTP began training “passive dogs,” which search for explosives among crowds. These dogs zero in on suspicious scents and follow them to their source. About a dozen passive bomb-sniffing dogs have been incorporated into the BTP’s 60 highly trained-dog force over the last three years.
Bomb-sniffing dogs are scent-trained to recognize a variety of smells associated with explosive devices. When they pick up on a scent, they seek out the source and then beside it and await their reward, which is typically a favorite toy. During a recent drill in London’s St. Pancras railway station, Benson, the black Labrador pictured above, successfully sought out a police officer carrying explosives and was rewarded with a tennis ball.
“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,” British Transport Police Inspector Ed Purchase told MSNBC.
The U.K.’s alert level is expected to be raised to “severe” during the Olympics, which means that an attack is highly likely, and the games will see the country’s largest peacetime security operation involving thousands of security officials. The city of London estimates that 13,500 military personnel, 12,000 police officers and 10,000 private contractors will be involved in the event’s security operations.
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Benson, a great big thank you from across the pond!
So when the dogs are finished with their service what happens to them? Does anyone know the answer to this.
They usually just retire with the handler and family.
Glad to know I have such an importnt "relative".
THIS WAS A VERY INTERESTINY STORY ABOUT BENSON AND THE OTHER SECURITY FORCES WHO WILL PATRL THE 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES!!!!
Love you Benson, and appreciate you helping to keep our world safe!!
I love you, Benson! Stay safe. I hope you find nothing at the games. I wish you didn't have to have the job you do, but thank you for making us safer.
Benson, you are a brave and beautiful boy! Thank you and your canine buddies for all the hard you do to save our country and now London to protect the Olympics. This is a very imprtant job for you to do. Good luck and God bless all of you ,canine and humans!!
Benson, you're a beautiful boy. Stay safe.
Great job your doing for all human beings sniff out bomb theats.Wish more dogs could be trained to do this and stationed where needed for public safety.
God bless you Benson! My prayers that you and your colleagues are safe, healthy and happy - especially during the Games. Love you Sweetie Pie! xo xo