When there is a Jamaican flight around, the sniffer dogs are usually brought out. - File

While Jamaicans are losing their jobs in droves, there is an urgent demand and several job openings for man's best friend: dogs.

A government-commissioned security audit conducted at the country's two international airports in August last year determined that they were in dire need of more sniffer dogs to aid in the fight against drug smuggling.

However, local dogs need not stand in line or roll over to impress airport officials because the audit team has recommended that 'expatriate' sniffer dogs be hired to fill the vacancies. Ruff!

"Explosive and drug dogs are to be imported to replace our ageing team," the report said.

The report said the dogs on duty at the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, St James, had passed the retirement age - in dog years of course.

"(The) canine unit had seven aged dogs. More dogs are needed as a matter of urgency," the report said.

At the Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) in Kingston, only three dogs were available for duty.

"Only one dog was in use on the day of the survey. No post has been provided for the canine unit in the baggage make-up area, so officers had to operate from their vehicle and use the bonnet of their vehicle as a desk for their paper work," read another section of the report.

inadequate

Lieutenant Commander John McFarlane, director of aviation security at NMIA Airports Limited, confessed that the sniffer dog cohort at the Kingston airport was inadequate.

"We do need more dogs. My understanding is that the police are in the process of increasing the number of dogs to deal with narcotics detection at the international airports and seaports," he said.

A senior official from the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority, who led the top brass team that conducted the security surveys at both airports, told our news team that the Ministry of National Security was dealing with the acquisition of the sniffer dogs.

The team leader also pointed out that one of airports had already earmarked an appropriate area where air-conditioned kennels would be set up.

canine checks

At the time of the audit, only a small portion of the airlines at the Sangster airport had canine checks conducted on their hold baggage. The audit team insisted that all hold baggage must undergo canine checks.

More than a year after the security audit, Tomlin Scarlett, president of the Board of Airline Representatives of Jamaica - the body that represents all airlines and handling companies that operate on the island - said the sniffer dog situation at the airports was still nothing to write home about.

"It hasn't improved to the point where we would like it," he said.

tyrone.reid@gleanerjm.com