Pubdate: Fri, 01 Mar 2002
Source: Sun, The (UK)
Copyright: News Group Newspapers Ltd, 2002
Contact:  http://www.the-sun.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/433
Author: Mike Sullivan
References: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01.n1166.a09.html
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01.n1065.a06.html
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01.n1064.a04.html

ANARCHY COP BANS BRIXTON DRUG DOGS

THE police chief dubbed Commander Crackpot has banned sniffer dogs 
from drug-riddled Brixton.

Brian Paddick, who sparked outrage last week by saying anarchy was 
"appealing" reckons the animals upset Afro-Caribbeans living there.

But it was claimed last night the ban would hinder a massive 
crack-down on street crime.

Mr Paddick ordered dogs to be kept out of the entire borough for 
which he is responsible - Lambeth, South London.

It includes Brixton which is notorious for drug dealing and gun crime.

Locals were furious saying: "We need all the help we can get."

Mr Paddick  issued his edict after talks with community leaders.

Frightening

A source told The Sun: "It is a cultural thing.  some of the local 
West Indian population find dogs very frightening and believe they 
have connotations with the slave trade.

"There were extensive consultations between Mr Paddick and his senior 
officers with consultative groups.

"As a result, the dog patrols have been asked to stay out of Lambeth 
except on specific, intelligence-led operations."

The move puts Mr Paddick, known for his lenient attitude towards 
cannabis, at odds with the Metropolitan Police's top brass.

They have launched a "Safer Streets" campaign to curb rocketing street crime.

Patrols using six dogs are being used throughout the capital to catch 
people with drugs and weapons.  That has now been ruled out in 
Lambeth.

On Tuesday night, a unit in Catford, South East London, began random 
checks on passengers at the borough's Stockwell Tube station.

Officers had a three-year-old labrador, called Josh, with them.

Handler, PC Lester Nicholson, said: "When we turned up for an 
operation with the tactical support group and informed British 
Transport Police office what we were doing, the Inspector said there 
might be a problem.

"A phone call was made to Commander Paddick's office and we were that 
they didn't want us working in Lambeth.  And we were told that we 
couldn't go anywhere near Brixton with dogs.  No proper explanation 
was given to us."

PC Nicholson, a cop for 32 years, added: "On average we have ben 
making ten arrests every time we set up a check.

"We are not overly concerned about people carrying small amounts of 
cannabis but we have been turning up people with guns and class A 
drugs.

"The dogs are not in the least bit frightening."

Glen Smyth, chairmen of the Metropolitan Police Federation union, 
said: "The digs are worth their weight in gold and quite simply we 
cannot hope to stamp out the drug problem which fuels so many other 
crimes without dogs trained to detect drugs."

Brixton street trader Winston Benjamin, 48, said: "Anything that can 
be done to confront the problems we have here should be done.

"Sniffer dogs help the area and can only improve the area.  so why 
take them off the streets?  It's a senseless idea."

Holiday

Lenny Taylor, 31, said: "You can go down to the market any time and 
see crack dealers huddled in corners, selling their stuff.

"There's no police presence at all so taking sniffer dogs off the 
streets will just make the problem worse."

Mr Paddick - the most senior openly gay cop in the country - is 
currently on holiday with his boy-friend in Australia.

Last July he effectively decriminalised cannabis in Lambeth by 
ordering his officers not to arrest people possessing the drug.

Offenders were given formal warnings instead.
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MAP posted-by: Josh