🚀 go-pugleaf

JS>Interesting constitutional issues here.  I'm not sure about
JS>having dogs
JS>sniff dorm rooms at a University (without a warrant), or

Jeff,
    The dogs don't do any actual detection. They are brought in on the
premise
 that they would be used to search for victims. The dogs never enter
the
 building, nor do they even get out of the officers vehicle. Just the
sight of
 them causes those that have something to hide to think twice keeping
something
 they don't want found in the dorms. They don't know if the dogs are
going to
 engage in a search or not. Just a touch of a FD "Drug awareness"
program. Of
 course it's illegal to conduct a search & seizure without a warrant,
but it's
 not illegal for the FD to search rooms of a building where an alarm is
 sounding, on the pretense of victim removal, or in the search for the
alarm
 cause. Anything seen while a search is taking place could be relayed to
a
 police officer, who could then aquire a search warrant for that
particular
 room or occupant, depending on what might be found. If a dorm room was
opened,
 & illegal items were within plain view from outside the door in the
hallway,
 the officer then has the right to enter said room & seize the illegal
item.
 Arrest warrants could also then be issued for the occupant(s), for
possession.
 All this & no dogs needed.

Mark Caravasos Morgantown FD, Morgantown, WV


 * Origin: The Tek Room BBS Node 4 (304) 292-4747 (1:277/24)