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Drug-Sniffing Dogs to Inspect Rikers Staff for Contraband, DOC Says

By Eddie Small | November 6, 2014 5:50pm
 The contraband that an undercover DOI investigator smuggled into Rikers.
The contraband that an undercover DOI investigator smuggled into Rikers.
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DOI

RIKERS ISLAND — Drug-sniffing dogs are on their way to Rikers Island — specifically to inspect staffers — as part of a series of reforms meant to combat problems with smuggling at the jail.

The Department of Correction has agreed to put drug-sniffing dogs at its staff entrances, assign the Special Operations Division to supervise entrance security, and consider adopting the same standards for search protocols used by the Transportation Security Administration — after a scathing report by the Department of Investigation.

The DOI's report, released on Thursday, found that "the smuggling of weapons and narcotics into Rikers Island continues to be a significant problem which threatens the safety of correction officers (COs), inmates, and all others who travel to the facility."

The report called past screening protocols of DOC staffers inadequate, adding that many times they were not even followed.

As part of the DOI's probe into Rikers, an undercover investigator from the department successfully smuggled in a razor blade, heroin, marijuana and prescription narcotics past DOC screening checkpoints six separate times.

The contraband was worth an estimated $3,600 in courier fees and could sell inside of Rikers for more than $22,000, the DOI said.

"I have zero tolerance for anyone, including staff, bringing contraband into DOC facilities," DOC Commissioner Joseph Ponte said in a statement. "The Department has already begun reforms to address the issues raised in the DOI report, and we will continue to work with DOI to keep our facilities safe."

The DOI has arrested several COs for sneaking items into Rikers over the years.

Department of Investigations Commissioner Mark Peters said in a statement that he believed the proposed reforms — which the agency recomended should be implemented within six months — would help solve the issue of smuggling at DOC facilities.

"We are pleased that DOC has responded quickly to these most-recent findings and proposed new protocols that we believe will address these issues," he said.

The report suggests that DOC should consider other changes as well, such as eliminating cargo pockets from CO uniform pants and putting CO lockers outside of security gates, which would force them to change out of their civilian clothing and leave their belongings behind before entering the jail.