Lawsuits Challenge Identifying Ability of Police Dogs
Two federal lawsuits are casting a harsh spotlight on an investigative tool long beloved by American law enforcement: a bloodhound's nose.
Lawsuits filed in Victoria, Texas, allege that Fort Bend County Sheriff's Deputy Keith Pikett and his team of hounds — James Bond, Quincy and Clue — failed controversial sniff tests known as "scent lineups."
Much like in traditional lineups, the dogs link human scents left at crime scenes to samples from suspects.
In each case, the suits allege, Pikett's dogs called attention to the wrong person. Both former suspects have been cleared.
This part is fun:
Ken Sparks, county attorney in Colorado County, Texas, an enthusiastic supporter of Pikett's work, says he understands some of the skepticism.
"Everybody who encounters it the first time says, 'Yeah, right,' " Sparks says. "That's what I said before I first saw it work."
Pikett says the lawsuits are just attempts to win large awards. "It's all about money," he says.
One of the men wrongly identified by the police dog was jailed for three months before being exonerated by DNA testing. The greedy bastard apparently thinks he should compensated for that.
A couple of weeks ago, I posted about another police dog in Orlando whose "testimony" has come under fire.