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Dutch police recruit rat detectives to sniff out crime
http://arstechnica.com/business/2013/09/dutch-police-recruit-rat-detectives-to-sniff-out-crime/Derrick, Thomson and Thompson, Magnum, and Poirot are the newest recruits at a Dutch police department. These Rotterdam rats have been trained to keep the streets clean and are expected to save the police both time and money.
Police inspector Monique Hamerslag is in charge of the project, which is overseen by Mark Wiebes, head of the police "innovation" center. In a statement to AFP, Wiebes said, "As far as we know we're the first in the world to train rats to be used in police investigations."
Detective Derrick and his rat partners cost just £8 each and are capable of being trained to identify an impressive range of odors—including drugs and explosives—within ten to 15 days. In contrast, a police dog costs thousands of pounds and requires a minimum training period of eight months.
The training procedure is straightforward: the rats are kept in a cage with four metal tea strainers attached inside, one of which contains gunpowder. When the rat recognizes the smell, it is rewarded with a "click" and a small treat. Eventually the rat will learn to move towards the smell instantly. In a demonstration it takes Derrick just two seconds to locate the offending odor.
Police inspector Monique Hamerslag is in charge of the project, which is overseen by Mark Wiebes, head of the police "innovation" center. In a statement to AFP, Wiebes said, "As far as we know we're the first in the world to train rats to be used in police investigations."
Detective Derrick and his rat partners cost just £8 each and are capable of being trained to identify an impressive range of odors—including drugs and explosives—within ten to 15 days. In contrast, a police dog costs thousands of pounds and requires a minimum training period of eight months.
The training procedure is straightforward: the rats are kept in a cage with four metal tea strainers attached inside, one of which contains gunpowder. When the rat recognizes the smell, it is rewarded with a "click" and a small treat. Eventually the rat will learn to move towards the smell instantly. In a demonstration it takes Derrick just two seconds to locate the offending odor.
