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For Immediate Release 13 May 2011

Corrections drug dog team win big at national championships

Christchurch Corrections dog handler Barry Nelsen and his dog Olesia have won the National Narcotic Detector Dog competition – the first department win in more than a decade.

The pair edged out the country’s best Police and Customs drug dogs teams in the category this week to be awarded the Alan Symes Cup on Thursday.

Another Corrections dog team, Carol Draunivudi and Flash, placed third in the same category.
Mr Nelsen and the five-year-old German Shepherd he calls “Ollie” also took the Maidstone Auto Point Trophy for the highest marks in locating white powders.

The Narcotics Detector Dog contest, along side separate contests for patrol and explosive dog teams make up the annual New Zealand Police Dog Championships held at the Police Dog Training Centre in Trentham.

It featured 21 operational dog teams from Police, Customs, Aviation Security and Corrections.
This years contest was the first for Mr Nelsen and he admits he was hesitant at the start.
“I didn’t think it was really my cup of tea in the beginning. Ollie’s a good solid dog who works well and I was more interested focussing on the work we do to stop drugs in our prisons.”

“But the win was great – for me and the Department. And Carol did really well.”
“The competition is fun and the other competitors are a great bunch of people but it’s incredibly stressful. When you’re working, normally you aren’t putting this level of pressure on yourself. For this you have to be focussed every second - it’s got to be over 100 per cent or it’s a waste of time.”

Mr Nelsen even managed to remain unfazed, despite being away from his Christchurch based family when the 5.3 magnitude quake hit the area on Tuesday morning.

“Everyone was okay and there was no damage this time. We wouldn’t get out of bed for a 5.3 quake where I come from.”
Acting Prison Services General Manager Brendan Anstiss said Corrections dog handlers had regularly placed second and third in the competition but this was the first time a Corrections dog team had won it since 1998.

“We’re very proud. Both Barry and Carol are relatively new, they did well to be selected to take part and did extremely well in the competition. It’s very demanding and our handlers are under the spotlight, up against the best other agencies have to offer.”

“Our dog handlers have to maintain a high standard. We search, call the police and ban people from prisons based on what the handlers say. They’ve got to know and be able to read their dogs.”

Corrections 12 drug dog teams search for drugs and other contraband inside the nations 20 prisons and in prison car parks to stop visitors trying to sneak illicit substances inside.

The National Narcotic Detector Dog competition includes controlled searches for secreted drug samples in cars and buildings.

Both the patrol and explosives categories were won by police dog teams.
Inspector Brendon Gibson, Police National Co-ordinator of Police Dogs, praised the skill and commitment of all the competitors across the whole competition.

"The teams have worked through demanding but realistic exercises this week and have demonstrated the development and depth of the operational dog teams across the country."

ENDS

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