The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has announced a new canine programme to enhance explosives detection capabilities in US air cargo facilities.
The agency will train and certify more than 400 explosives detection canine teams, composed of one dog and one handler, during the next two years. Eighty-five of these teams will be TSA employee-led and will primarily search cargo bound for passenger-carrying aircraft.
The first TSA teams began training in January and graduated today after a 10-week training course with the teams to be fully operational this summer. TSA handlers will be non-law enforcement employees and will complementthe 496 TSA-certified state and local law enforcement teams currentlydeployed to 70 airports and 14 masstransit systems.
“Canine teams are one of the quickest, most efficient means of detecting explosives,” said TSA administrator Kip Hawley. “TSA teams provide flexibility in searching air cargo and the ability to surge resources when necessary.”
The TSA teams will be deployed to airports with the greatest volume of cargo on passenger-carrying aircraft. The 12 teams graduating today will be deployed to: Dulles International, John F. Kennedy International, Los Angeles International and Miami International Airports.