Australian police want to shut down a mobile phone service warning people where its sniffer dog teams are.
Snifferdogalert.com invites New South Wales residents to sign up for an SMS tip-off. Users are promised the latest location of dog teams used to crack down on drugs and illegal handguns.
Police minister Mr Michael Costa described the service as an irresponsible stunt.
According to news.com, the civil libertarians behind the service, it is just an information service. Volunteers in the field collect the information.
The state's Council for Civil Liberties president, Mr Cameron Murphy, said: "It's no different to what radio stations already do when they alert people to a police speed trap. We're doing the same thing: we're telling people illicit drugs are illegal - don't carry them - and we're telling them exactly where police are enforcing these laws".
But Mr Costa, calling on the council to revise its action, said: "I don't think anybody wants people running around the streets with illegal handguns." He is taking advice on whether the site can be shut down.
PA