Coffeyville police have deployed a new crime fighting unit to apprehend criminals - they've brought in rats to sniff out crime.
Collectively, they are known as the 'A-Team', based on the fact that they are the first unit of its kind to be utilized by the city.
The crime-fighting rodents, called Murdock, B.A., Hannibal, Faceman and Krackers are being employed by the Coffeyville police crime intervention center.
The names come from the famous 1980's television series, the A-Team with the exception of Krackers who was named by the their human chief, Brain Danielson.
Danielson, claims he got the idea from the way rats are used in Afghanistan to detect IEDs (improvised explosive devices) and landmines.
Rats can learn to sniff out any odour known to man, from drugs and explosives to dead bodies.
Despite their terrifying reputation the main problem with using the scavengers is their shyness.
Danielson said: "It's best to bring the smell to the rats and not the other way round.
"That means we have to take samples and bring them to where the rats live.
"People think of rats as vermin but they are highly intelligent creatures.
"They have a more heightened sense of smell than dogs and because they are so much lighter they have less chance of setting off an explosive.
"Obviously we don't have land mines in this city but I'm so happy with their development that I would be happy to send them to war if it was required."
The bomb sniffing training process begins when rats are five weeks old and are weaned from their mothers.
Trainers begin socializing the young rats to the sights, sounds, and textures of the world by walking them on wet grass, going for a ride in a police car and interacting with humans.
Then the sniffer rats are taught to recognize the smell of metal land mine casings in return for a food reward.
Rats are a far cheaper option to keep and train than traditional police "sniffer" dogs and need only 10-15 days to learn a particular smell.
However dogs will remain at the front of police operations as unlike the shy rodents they are far happier and braver when it comes to exploring unfamiliar places.
Collectively, they are known as the 'A-Team', based on the fact that they are the first unit of its kind to be utilized by the city.
The crime-fighting rodents, called Murdock, B.A., Hannibal, Faceman and Krackers are being employed by the Coffeyville police crime intervention center.
The names come from the famous 1980's television series, the A-Team with the exception of Krackers who was named by the their human chief, Brain Danielson.
Danielson, claims he got the idea from the way rats are used in Afghanistan to detect IEDs (improvised explosive devices) and landmines.
Rats can learn to sniff out any odour known to man, from drugs and explosives to dead bodies.
Despite their terrifying reputation the main problem with using the scavengers is their shyness.
Danielson said: "It's best to bring the smell to the rats and not the other way round.
"That means we have to take samples and bring them to where the rats live.
"People think of rats as vermin but they are highly intelligent creatures.
"They have a more heightened sense of smell than dogs and because they are so much lighter they have less chance of setting off an explosive.
"Obviously we don't have land mines in this city but I'm so happy with their development that I would be happy to send them to war if it was required."
The bomb sniffing training process begins when rats are five weeks old and are weaned from their mothers.
Trainers begin socializing the young rats to the sights, sounds, and textures of the world by walking them on wet grass, going for a ride in a police car and interacting with humans.
Then the sniffer rats are taught to recognize the smell of metal land mine casings in return for a food reward.
Rats are a far cheaper option to keep and train than traditional police "sniffer" dogs and need only 10-15 days to learn a particular smell.
However dogs will remain at the front of police operations as unlike the shy rodents they are far happier and braver when it comes to exploring unfamiliar places.