Dog sniffs out phones
2006-09-20 12:14
London - Give the dog a phone: a sniffer dog has been put to work in British prisons with the specific brief of tracking down illicit cellphones held by inmates.
Murphy, a 15-month-old English springer spaniel, started work at Norwich Prison, eastern England, on Monday and will be working at 12 other jails in the region.
Norwich Prison governor James Shanley said: "Our biggest concern is to maintain public protection and we do not want mobile phones to circumvent all the systems set up to provide this.
"If somebody has access to a mobile phone in prison they could potentially contact witnesses, or they could use the phone as a means of escape by arranging for someone to meet them at a certain place.
"Phones can also be used to take photos and could identify staff or other visitors to the prison."
About 500 cellphones have been found in the 12 prisons in the last year, he added.
Murphy, who came from a rescue centre, is believed to be the first cellphone sniffer dog in Britain's Prison Service, Shanley said.