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Feb 28, 2006 11:06 pm US/Central
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Undercover Test Raises Metra Security Concerns
CBS 2, Sun-Times Go Undercover To Track Security
by Suzanne Le Mignot
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
Undercover video of a bomb-sniffing dog that is supposed to be protecting Metra passengers may disturb you after explosives used in a secret test went undetected by a dog and its handler.
On Monday, Metra announced it will re-test its bomb-sniffing dog teams this week as a result of a special CBS 2 / Chicago Sun-Times investigation that is raising serious questions about the ability of Metra dogs to detect suicide bombers, CBS 2's Suzanne LeMignot reports.
With a hidden camera, CBS 2 watched the dogs at various Metra stations on five days for as long as two hours. They rarely moved from one spot as the handlers sat, talked and let commuters pet the dogs.
"They assured us that these dogs that we have were capable of locating explosives," said a Metra insider.
The insider, who spoke on camera in a disguise and a replaced voice, and other sources question the abilities of these dogs and their handlers to find explosives.
"The public has been given a false sense of security," the insider said.
Metra says last year its police union became suspicious of two companies then providing bomb detection dog teams.
Because of that, Metra had the companies independently tested. They flunked, and Metra stopped using them.
One company had been on the job for nine months, two years for the other, before ever being tested.
"They went through a number of elements and a number of different scents, and their performance was very sub-par and unacceptable," said Metra spokeswoman Judy Pardonnet.
Then, Metra hired Securitas in March 2005.
Instead of giving these new dog teams an identical test, this company was allowed to test itself. It passed with an independent observer watching.
So CBS 2 recruited a police officer and experts to design our own test.
One pound of a substance sold in gun stores and found in certain bombs was used.
Our police officer packed the material so it would not ignite and hurt anyone.
Video shows our tester walking by dogs at Oglivie Station in downtown Chicago. The tester walked by once, twice, three times without any reaction.
Next, we put the bag down in front of the dog team and let it sit for 30 seconds. Still, no response.
"Well, our reaction to the test is that in working with Securitas, they have told us that's not the way the dogs are trained," Pardonnet said.
Commander Ken Rewers heads the Cook County Sheriff's Police Bomb Squad. Its canine program is nationally known.
"There shouldn't be a problem with the dog detecting that," Rewers said.
As documented on tape, their dog reacts instantly to the same type and amount of powder CBS 2 used before.
"The training our dogs receive, I have no doubt they would alert to it," Rewers said.
Rewers answered questions about his dog teams, but not Metra's.
"They will start working as soon as they come out of that car," Rewers said.
The sheriff's dogs will search without orders. Securitas' dogs don't.
"The dog goes to work when we tell the dog to go to work," said Regional President Tony Majka.
Tony Majka, regional president for Securitas, also says its dogs are not trained to find explosives carried by people.
"We don't train for passing scents," Majka said.
He says Metra hired them to have their dogs just search abandoned, suspicious packages and only when given a command. That means the dog teams routinely on duty at Metra won't detect suicide bombers.
There are dogs that can sniff out suicide bombers. Atlanta's Marta Rail Line is using that type of dog.
So why aren't all dogs trained that way? Because they don't have to be. There are no national standards.
CBS 2 found at least seven states do have certification standards. Illinois does not.
"You have individuals out there saying that they have an explosive detection dog. There should be some type of benchmark," Rewers said.
Our CBS 2 / Chicago Sun-Times investigation has led Metra to launch its own investigation into the dogs' abilities and the handlers not patrolling.
"No, they're not supposed to stand around in one spot," said Pardonnet.
Securitas stands by its dogs and their handlers.
"I didn't see anything wrong with the tape," Majka said. "They stand at a post at a location and pretty much wait for a radio call to say, 'We have an unattended suspicious package that we'd like inspected.'"
This week, Metra will only be testing its dog teams on abandoned bags. They won't be tested on their ability to find explosives carried by people.
"Mass transit is a high priority for terrorism, and being one of the largest, we should have better security," the insider said.
As a result of our CBS 2 / Sun-Times investigation, Metra says it is willing to work with security consultants to see if it needs to employ dog teams that can detect the passing scent of people carrying explosives.
Experts tell us better security would also come with state or national dog team certification standards.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)