Bomb detection dogs are trained of course specifically to detect bombs and other potential dangers at the airport, but it seems that these teams of dogs have failed to deliver the desired results at ten large U.S. airports.
New records have been released about certification tests that took place between 2013 and 2015, and found that K-9 teams funded by the Transportation Security Administration have failed the test 52 times. Failing the test means that they either failed to find explosives, or they caused too many false alarms. Obviously these two results are quite different, but both scenarios would cause big problems for an airport.
Some cities have great test results with the dogs, while other like Los Angeles had many of the failures, which called into question whether the proper training was going on. However the TSA remains confident about the fact that the dog teams are pulled from working until they can pass the tests.
“If a team does not meet TSA’s rigorous guidelines, it is decertified and restricted from working. The team must successfully meet certification standards before returning to search duties. Dog teams that are unable to return to TSA’s high standards are subject to removal.”
They also said the test results in the second half of 2015 were better, but the number for 2016 have not yet been released.
