TSA rolls out its own K9 units to check cargo at O'Hare
Like any good dog, Jody knows how to sit on command.
And also when she finds plastic explosives.
The 4-year-old Belgian Malinois and her handler Ray Medina are among six canine/human teams starting this week at O'Hare International Airport that will search for deadly explosives hidden in cargo on passenger planes.
Until recently, O'Hare used bomb-sniffing dogs supplied by local police to check cargo.
But a new directive by the Transportation Security Administration aims to establish patrols of in-house handlers and canines at major U.S. airports to enhance existing security programs.
"Having our own teams gives us more flexibility to allocate our resources where they need to be," TSA spokesman Elio Montenegro said.
Monday during a demonstration at the American Airlines cargo center at O'Hare, Jody and German shepherd Jessy strained at their leads and gave out excited barks, eager to start work.
"It's a game for them," said Medina, a TSA inspector. "It's playtime and they want that reward."
Given the go-ahead, the dogs darted through the cavernous facility, jumping onto mountains of boxes filled with goods.
Jody was the lucky one. Nose quivering, she bounded onto a platform with more than 30 boxes of clothing. Suddenly, the frisky dog stopped short and sat down - a signal she'd struck gold.
Lying in the midst of the cargo were plastic explosives her handlers had planted. Medina heaped praise on the dog and tossed over a rubber chew toy Jody ecstatically grabbed.
Between 2008 and 2009, 85 teams of dogs and their TSA handlers will be rolled out at U.S. airports with the highest volumes of cargo. The first group started early this year at Los Angeles International, Dulles International, Miami International and JFK International airports.
There are 16 cargo facilities at O'Hare. The airport handled about 1.7 million tons of cargo in 2007, according to the city of Chicago.
Although passengers won't see the canines in action, "it's an additional layer of security that also acts as a deterrent," Montenegro said.
The dogs spend about three months in training in bomb detection at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas with the TSA's National Explosives Detection Canine Team Program. Then, they're acclimatized to the airport environment.
"You need dogs with drive, stamina and a good nose." said TSA inspector Guy Almerico, an Elmhurst resident who handles Jessy.
Medina is a former New York City police detective who responded to 911 and lost friends in the 2001 terrorist attacks.
He left police work in 2002 and joined the TSA. A dog lover, he was eager to sign up for the new cargo security program.
"I hope it'll make a difference," Medina said. "I feel I can make a difference."
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