Examiner

Maryland’s innovative training of cell phone-detection dogs drew K-9 units from law enforcement agencies and correctional institutions from Washington, D.C., Kansas, Pennsylvania, Oregon, South Dakota and New Jersey for a recent three-day session in Hagerstown.

The specialty dogs have made such an impact that law enforcement from more than 25 different jurisdictions as far away as Israel and Canada are calling for advice, said Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services spokesman Mark Vernarelli.

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Anderson, who hosted the training session, used Buddy to show the visiting agencies what to expect in the initial stages of training when dogs are learning how to find the phones inside boxes, shoes and even televisions.

“Cell phones are like everything else, they have their own unique scent signature, and once you get the dogs honed in on that scent, it’s basically repetition,” he said.

“As long as they find the cell phone and get rewarded for it, they’re going to keep trying even harder.”

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The dogs, which are more cost effective and reliable than machines that jam cell phone signals, also have acted as a deterrent for future cell phone smugglers, Anderson said.

The sound of paws padding along prison floors is followed by frantic inmates flushing toilets and dropping cell phones from upper levels to avoid being caught by a simple sniff.

Inmates, along with prison staff members and correctional officers, can face stiff penalties for contraband, such as criminal charges, said Rick Binetti, a Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services spokesman.

Inmates can face up to an additional year in prison, he said, and staff members can lose their job.