Officers from the Los Angeles Police Department’s K-9 explosive detection unit left a bag containing explosive powder unattended at Los Angeles International Airport after a training exercise this week, says the Los Angeles Times. A bomb-sniffing dog failed to detect the explosives and an airport police officer opened the bag in the presence of passengers, prompting officials to clear the area.
“It’s scandalous,” said a federal counterterrorism official. “It’s bad enough that someone would leave behind a bag like that. But to compound the problem, they bring in a dog that doesn’t do what it’s supposed to.” “I am not going to make this pretty. It was unfortunate that this happened, and there will be an investigation to figure out who was responsible for what,” said John Miller, chief of the LAPD’s counterterrorism bureau. As a consequence of the incident, Miller said, the LAPD immediately adopted two new procedures for such anti-terrorism exercises: appoint a safety officer responsible for keeping track of equipment used in such practice sessions, and to notify other agencies, including airport police and the U.S. Transportation Safety Administration, when the LAPD is using such training aids.
Link: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bomb25mar25,1,7982655.story?coll=la-headlines-california