Lawmakers Want to Ban Police Dogs
Are police dogs a thing of the past in California?
Yes, if two Northern California lawmakers get their way.
Assemblymembers Corey Jackson and Ash Kalra have proposed legislation seeking to do-away with police dogs used in the course of ordinary police work. The legislators argue that communities of color suffer the most when police dogs are used. Their proposed bill would allow law enforcement to maintain police canines for search-and-rescue, as well as bomb-sniffing operations.
Proponents of the bill argue that persons of color are disproportionately affected by police dogs that are used to chase and apprehend criminal suspects. Opponents say that the use of police dogs actually saves lives, allowing police to use less-than-lethal force to secure compliance and apprehend suspects who may pose a threat to others.
You can read more about the bill here.
Yours truly has monitored this issue closely for years. Just recently, my article discussing police dog liability appeared in the largest legal newspaper in the country—the Los Angeles Daily Journal.
I also recently prepared a “Dog Bite FAQ list” in response to common questions my office has received over the years.
And many of you might know this—but one of my very first cases was a dog bite case. My client was my own daughter, who was attacked by a dog that was off-leash in our neighborhood. That case not only woke up my lawyer instincts—it woke up my dad instincts, which are even more powerful!!
We all love dogs. The sad reality is that sometimes dogs cause serious injuries. Police dogs are no different—we frequently read news stories where police dogs got it wrong and caused serious injuries.
Time will tell if Assemblypersons Jackson and Kalra’s proposal will gain traction.
In the meantime, if you or someone you know was injured by a police or other dog, reach out to my office, and I will see how I can help.
