Meet Priss, SC State’s gun-sniffing dog

ORANGEBURG, S.C. – South Carolina State University’s newest security measure is winning hearts on campus.

Priss is a 1½-year-old Labrador Retriever specially trained to find firearms and certain explosives.

“It gives me a little bit more peace of mind knowing that we have a gun-sniffing dog on campus,” said Arjay Farmer, an SC State sophomore majoring in political science. “I think my main concern is that it’s been so common that someone just pops up with a gun anywhere.

“So, the fact that we have a precaution like this makes me think, ‘OK, we’ve got something that will keep that from happening so often,’” he said.

Farmer said he had learned about the recent fatal shooting at Delaware State University, which shares SC State’s position as a historically Black college or university (HBCU).

“Since we have the dog, it will help make things like that preventable,” Farmer said. “I know there will always be cases where craziness happens, but if you can make things where they’re not as common, there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Priss was trained using “vapor wake” technology, meaning she has been conditioned to recognize vapors that emit from gun powder and certain types of explosives. Her presence works both to stop incidents before they start by detecting guns and to deter people from bringing guns to campus.

According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate, a dog's sense of smell is a million times more sensitive than a human’s. Canines can be trained to detect a wide variety of specific odors, such as explosives, humans, drugs, and even fruits and vegetables. Dogs are trained to alert to the presence of these odors with a learned response such as sitting or lying quietly.

Trained dogs have been added to security and law enforcement agencies around the country, including the University of South Carolina and other colleges and universities. SC State President Alexander Conyers was especially familiar with the dogs’ capabilities. One of Conyers’ many positions in the U.S. Army was the chief officer for military working dogs, which included coordinating the procurement, training, certification and deployment of such dogs.

Priss’ handler is Lt. LaVar Johnson, a three-year veteran of SC State’s Campus Police Department, who spent a month learning how to work with Priss at a training facility in Alabama before bringing her to Orangeburg for duty.

“For me, it’s mainly about the safety and security of these students,” Johnson said. “Dealing with individuals who want to carry firearms for no apparent reason, to me Priss is making a safer environment for these students.”

As a dog lover, Johnson had long aspired to establish a K-9 policing unit, so Priss afforded him a chance to add to his legacy in service to SC State.

“I have nine years left until I retire,” he said. “I just want to be able to look back in life and say I made it a long way. It means a lot to say that I am a part of a great institution as this, to leave something in my name here means I am part of something greater.”

Priss has been embraced wholeheartedly by the SC State force.

“Everybody loves her, and she’s fun to play with,” Capt. Africa Wells said. “She’s really, really fast. She loves belly rubs, and she loves her little ball.

“Some students are terrified of her simply because she’s a dog, but other students who absolutely adore dogs, they love the fact that they can pet her,” she said. “She’s very friendly. When she’s not in work mode, she’s their best friend.”

Having Priss in service also offers Wells some peace of mind as a leader. When she’s away from campus, Priss is there to help protect the officers, as well as students.

“It creates a sense of security for me, as well, because when I’m not able to be here, she’s the added security that we need,” Wells said. “It’s like having an extra pair of eyes on campus.

“If our officers happen to encounter a weapon or anything like that, they will have eyes on it before it can even be utilized,” she said.

Jordan Price, a sophomore biology major from Augusta, Georgia, was glad to meet Priss.

“For me as a student, I think she keeps us safe because shootings are unsafe for everyone,” Price said. “We should be able to feel safe at our own university. I don’t think anyone should be hurt over a gun.”

The dog is one of numerous safety and security measures SC State has implemented over the last two years. Other measures have included installing emergency call boxes and about 700 video cameras on campus, employing additional sworn officers, contracting more security personnel, and adding extra patrols on campus.