POLICE BLOODHOUNDS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22399, 22 October 1934, Page 8

POLICE BLOODHOUNDS

VALUE IN CRIMINAL HUNTS SUGGESTED USE IN DOMINION Prompted by the search during the last few days near Te Kuiti, a correspondent of the New Zealand Herald has brought up the question of the use of bloodhounds in such cases. Shortly after the Lakey murders a year ago it was suggested in some quarters that bloodhounds could liave been used to advantage. At that time the Commissioner of Police made a statement in which he referred to_ the Erohibitivc cost of importing a pair of loodhounds, in his opinion, in the neighbourhood of £IOOO. The correspondent thereupon communicated with the owners of the two leading bloodhound kennels in England, one of whom was Mrs Michael Sadlier, who, assisted by a pair of hounds, was recently instrumental in capturing a desperate armed man on the Sussex Downs. The replies indicated that a pair of hounds could be landed in the Dominion for well under £IOO. In a letter received recently, prices were quoted at from £lO to £25 for untrained hounds, and it was stated that a dog with a working certificate could be purchased for £25. A good pair could be bought for between £4O and £SO, while the freight from England to New Zealand was estimated at about £3O. Information concerning these prices was sent to the Commissioner of Police who, in reply, quoted several passages from reports on dogs for police work, based, in the correspondent's opinion, on a German report on Alsatians in the year 1912. The commissioner still claimed that it would cost £IOOO to import hounds and to establish kennels in the four main centres with at least two kennel officers in attendance. It was stated by the correspondent that one good tracker would be sufficient for all purposes in the Dominion, and this could be transported by car and aeroplane if necessary, as was done in America. The cost of _ a pair of hounds would be small, set against the expense entailed in mobilising a large police force as had been done in the present instance at Rangitoto. " There is always the chance that the fugitive may have shot himself," stated the correspondent, ".and his body may never be recovered. The uncertainty of his fate will be very disquieting to settlers until the matter is cleared up.