The DDU began operating in 1994 as the Dog Squad with two officers and their German Shepherds. Today the Unit has 18 teams of officers and passive alert response Labradors working across metropolitan and regional prisons.
This year a second detection team is being deployed at the maximum-security Albany Regional Prison.
“The Drug Detection Unit has a proud history and a dedicated team of men, women and their dogs,” Department Director General Kylie Maj said.
“Their hard work to keep narcotics out of prisons supports the concerted efforts at our rehabilitation facilities to help prisoners break addictions to drugs,” Ms Maj said.
The Unit has conducted more than 70,000 searches of individuals and items in the financial year to date in prisons, youth detention centres and visitor areas; on people, in cells and prison areas, mail, vehicles and property. In 2022-2023 there were 53,790 searches.
The increased searches resulted in 109 seizures of contraband for 2023-2024 to 26 May, compared with 61 in all of the previous year.
Most commonly-seized items are buprenorphine-based substances, cannabis and drug paraphernalia.
“The DDU may be one of the smallest cohorts in Corrective Services but it punches well above it weight,” Corrective Services Commissioner Brad Royce.
“We can’t run therapeutic programs for prisoners if we have contraband like drugs coming into the system,” Commissioner Royce said. “One of the most important defences we have is our search regime.”
The DDU in recent years has expanded its functions beyond dog-led searches to using electronic drug trace detection devices, monitoring wastewater and conducting blanket drug testing.
It is also testing and evaluating body sample drug testing devices which are capable of detecting synthetic cannabinoids.
Corrective Services Minister Paul Papalia officially opened the new DDU Administration Complex in the Hakea Prison precinct before past and present Drug Detection Officers.
Mr Papalia also presented Drug Detection Officer Glen with a Certificate of Service for his 20 years with the unit.
Drug detection dog Aria was awarded a Trackers and War Dogs Association Canine Service Medal for five years’ services.
Corrective Services Minister Paul Papalia with Drug Detection Officer Glen and detection dog Aria
