Trends and offending circumstances in the police use of drug detection dogs in New South Wales 2008–2018

New South Wales (NSW) was the first Australian state to introduce drug detection dogs as a street-level policing strategy. In 2006, the NSW Ombudsman released damning evidence that challenged the dogs’ effectiveness. Over a decade later, drug detection dogs remain a core policing policy in NSW, and the powers surrounding their use have expanded. This study provides the first comprehensive analysis of drug dog deployment since the NSW Ombudsman Review. Specifically, it analyses unit-record data on all recorded criminal incidents and persons of interest (POIs) involving drug detection dogs that led to a formal police response in NSW from June 2008 to June 2018. The analysis shows that the main target group has remained young males detected for use/possession offences, albeit that the dogs have detected a small but potentially significant population of drug suppliers, and that the circumstances for their detection differ markedly to that for consumers. The results further show that there has been a small reduction in the number of overall detections recorded by police. However, this trend has not been driven by a decrease in use/possession offences detected, and thus large numbers of use/possession offenders, as opposed to drug suppliers, continue to be policed via this policy each year. This paper discusses the implications of these findings for policy and practice

Australian child protection services: a game without end

This article argues that Australian child protection services are based on an error of logical typing. Across time, this has led to an over-reliance on mandatory reporting legislation, a forensic/investigative/prosecutorial model of practice, a risk-averse organisational culture and zero tolerance of any imperfections in parenting practices which are defined as child abuse and neglect regardless of their severity. All of these positions ignore powerful social stressors that surround complex family situations where abuse and neglect can occur. It is proposed that this error of logical typing is confirmed by the well-documented fact that Australian child protection services have for more than two decades been unable to prevent or reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect. For this article, New South Wales is used as the exemplar state

Drug detection dogs in Australia: more bark than bite?

Introduction and Aims. Canines are often used by police for drug detection and deterrence. However, their effectiveness has been questioned. This paper aims to describe the experience of regular illicit drug users when in contact with drug detection dogs. Design and Methods. Regular ecstasy users (n = 2127) were interviewed across Australia between 2008 and 2010 as part of the Ecstasy and Related Drugs Reporting System. Results. Over the 3 year period, there was increased visibility of drug detection dogs by regular ecstasy users. New South Wales was the jurisdiction with the most reported sightings, mainly occurring at festivals or live music events. Despite this police presence, however, detection and deterrence rates remained low. Approximately two-thirds of participants who had seen the drug detection dogs had drugs in their possession at the most recent sighting, yet less than 7% were positively identified by dogs. Further, the majority of participants in possession of drugs took no actions after sighting the dogs, whereas a small group hastily consumed the drugs. Discussion and Conclusions. The low proportion of reported positive notifications from the dogs by the participants who had drugs on them at the time of sighting questions the accuracy and effectiveness of this procedure. Despite the increased visibility of police drug detection dogs, regular ecstasy users continue to use and be in possession of illicit drugs in public, suggesting a limited deterrence effect. The hasty consumption of drugs upon sighting the dogs also raises health concerns.[Hickey S, McIlwraith F, Bruno R, Matthews A, Alati R. Drug detection dogs in Australia: More bark than bite? Drug Alcohol Rev 2012;31:778783

The use of drug detection dogs in Sydney, Australia

Introduction and Aims. At present there is little research into the use of drug detection dogs. The present study sought to explore the use of detection dogs in Sydney, Australia, utilising multiple data sources. Design and Methods. Data were taken from interviews with 100 regular ecstasy users and 20 key experts as part of the 2006 New South Wales arm of the Ecstasy and Related Drugs Reporting System, and secondary data sources. Results. The majority of regular ecstasy users reported taking some form of precaution if made aware that dogs would be at an event they were attending. A small proportion of the sample reported consuming their drugs when coming into contact with detection dogs. One group of key experts viewed the use of detection dogs as useful; one group disliked the use of detection dogs though cooperated with law enforcement when dogs were used; and one group considered that detection dogs contribute to greater harm. Secondary data sources further suggested that the use of detection dogs do not significantly assist police in identifying and apprehending drug suppliers. Discussion and Conclusions. The present study suggests that regular ecstasy users do not see detection dogs as an obstacle to their drug use. Future research is necessary to explore in greater depth the experiences that drug users have with detection dogs; the effect detection dogs may have on deterring drug consumption; whether encounters with detection dogs contribute to drug-related harm; and the cost&ndash;benefit analysis of this law enforcement exercise.<br /

Using the Advocacy Coalition Framework and Multiple Streams policy theories to examine the role of evidence, research and other types of knowledge in drug policy

Background and aims: The prevailing ‘evidence-based policy’ paradigm emphasizes a technical–rational relationship between alcohol and drug research evidence and subsequent policy action. However, policy process theories do not start with this premise, and hence provide an opportunity to consider anew the ways in which evidence, research and other types of knowledge impact upon policy. This paper presents a case study, the police deployment of drug detection dogs, to highlight how two prominent policy theories [the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) and the Multiple Streams (MS) approach] explicate the relationship between evidence and policy. Methods: The two theories were interrogated with reference to their descriptions and framings of evidence, research and other types of knowledge. The case study methodology was employed to extract data concerned with evidence and other types of knowledge from a previous detailed historical account and analysis of drug detection dogs in one Australian state (New South Wales). Different types of knowledge employed across the case study were identified and coded, and then analysed with reference to each theory. A detailed analysis of one key ‘evidence event’ within the case study was also undertaken. Results: Five types of knowledge were apparent in the case study: quantitative program data; practitioner knowledge; legal knowledge; academic research; and lay knowledge. The ACF highlights how these various types of knowledge are only influential inasmuch as they provide the opportunity to alter the beliefs of decision-makers. The MS highlights how multiple types of knowledge may or may not form part of the strategy of policy entrepreneurs to forge the confluence of problems, solutions and politics. Conclusions: Neither the Advocacy Coalition Framework nor the Multiple Streams approach presents an uncomplicated linear relationship between evidence and policy action, nor do they preference any one type of knowledge. The implications for research and practice include the contestation of evidence through beliefs (Advocacy Coalition Framework), the importance of venues for debate (Advocacy Coalition Framework), the way in which data and indicators are transformed into problem specification (Multiple Streams) and the importance of the policy (‘alternatives’) stream (Multiple Streams)