Sniffer dogs not set to be a permanent security measure at the SU

It has been reported that the Students’ Union used sniffer dogs to carry out searches on Friday night.

Y Plas hosted the sold out X Music Festival Pre-Party, where Redlight and My Nu Leng played. Although the event was not an SU run night, the same ShowSec security staff were at the door carrying out the usual bag checks and body searches, as well as randomly pulling people aside to be searched by the dogs.

It’s unknown whether the next Treatment will have dogs

An organisational spokesperson for the SU told The Tab Cardiff: “The Union endeavours to offer a safe environment for all its customers and operates a strict zero tolerance policy on the use of drugs within our venues. We employ a number of security measures to help us achieve this. Dogs have been used several times in the past and have been well received by the majority of customers. It is an obvious counter measure to those that would attempt to bring illegal substances on to the premises. Secondly, it allows the venue security team to move people through the queue faster and out of the cold weather by eliminating the need for as much individual searching before entering the venue.”

Second year Pippa, who was pulled aside by one of the dogs, said: “I just came through the Union doors and there was a woman with a dog which got excited when it saw me, so I was signalled to go into a separate room. I had to empty pockets and bags and patted down by the security people, then when they found nothing on me they let me go in.”

According to those waiting outside, there was no evidence that the queue was moving any faster than normal. Second year Flora Milne commented that “it was slow, inefficient and very very damp.”

The Union have also stated that the use of sniffer dogs on Friday evening was not a change to the Union’s policy and that the dogs have no connection to the breathalyser trials. Although the dogs are not set to be a permanent feature of the SU security, it is unsure whether or not dogs will be deployed again, particularly at the next Treatment next week.