Police dog

Last updated

A Belgian Malinois police dog during a demonstration in England Sussex Police Dogs (9221050585).jpg
A Belgian Malinois police dog during a demonstration in England
A military police dog training Police dog attack.JPG
A military police dog training
An FBI Dutch Shepherd police dog FBI Police K9 (33511712043).jpg
An FBI Dutch Shepherd police dog

A police dog, also known as a K-9, [1] is a dog that is trained to assist police and other law enforcement officers. Their duties may include searching for drugs and explosives, locating missing people, finding crime scene evidence, protecting officers and other people, and attacking suspects who flee from officers. The breeds most commonly used by law enforcement are the German Shepherd, Belgian Malinois, Bloodhound, Dutch Shepherd, and Labrador Retriever. [2] In recent years, the Belgian Malinois has become the leading choice for police and military work due to their intense drive, focus, agility, and smaller size, though German Shepherds remain the breed most associated with law enforcement. [3]

Contents

Police dogs are used on a federal and local level for law enforcement purposes in many parts of the world. They are often assigned to what in some nations is referred to as a K-9 Unit, with a specific handler, and must remember several verbal cues and hand gestures. [4] Initial training for a police dog typically takes between eight months and a year, depending on where and how they are trained, and for what purpose. Police dogs often regularly take training programs with their assigned handler to reinforce their training. [5] In many countries, intentionally injuring or killing a police dog is a criminal offense. [6] [7]

History

Early history

Dogs have been used in law enforcement since the Middle Ages. Wealth and money was then tithed in the villages for the upkeep of the parish constable's bloodhounds that were used for hunting down outlaws.[ clarification needed ] The first recorded use of police dogs were in the early 14th century in St. Malo, France, where dogs were used to guard docks and piers. [8] By the late 14th century, bloodhounds were used in Scotland, known as "Slough dogs" – the word "Sleuth", (meaning detective) was derived from this. [9] Between the 12th and 20th centuries, police dogs on the British Isles and European continent were primarily used for their tracking abilities. [10]

The rapid urbanization of England and France in the 19th century increased public concern regarding growing lawlessness. [10] In London, the existing law enforcement, the Bow Street Runners, struggled to contain the crime on their own, and as a result, private associations were formed to help combat crime. [11] Night watchmen were employed to guard premises, and were provided with firearms and dogs to protect themselves from criminals.[ citation needed ]

Modern era

Bloodhounds used by Sir Charles Warren to try to track down the serial killer Jack The Ripper in the 1880s. Bloodhound from 1915.jpg
Bloodhounds used by Sir Charles Warren to try to track down the serial killer Jack The Ripper in the 1880s.
German shepherd in use by Schutzpolizei officer and SA auxiliary during the German federal election, March 1933, shortly after the Nazi seizure of power Bundesarchiv Bild 102-14381, Berlin, Polizeipatrouille am Wahltag.jpg
German shepherd in use by Schutzpolizei officer and SA auxiliary during the German federal election, March 1933, shortly after the Nazi seizure of power

One of the first attempts to use dogs in policing was in 1889 by the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police of London, Sir Charles Warren. Warren's repeated failures at identifying and apprehending the serial killer Jack the Ripper had earned him much vilification from the press, including being denounced for not using bloodhounds to track the killer. He soon had two bloodhounds trained for the performance of a simple tracking test from the scene of another of the killer's crimes. The results were far from satisfactory, with one of the hounds biting the Commissioner and both dogs later running off, requiring a police search to find them. [12]

It was in Continental Europe that dogs were first used on a large scale. Police in Paris began using dogs against roaming criminal gangs at night, but it was the police department in Ghent, Belgium that introduced the first organized police dog service program in 1899. [13] These methods soon spread to Austria-Hungary and Germany; in the latter the first scientific developments in the field took place with experiments in dog breeding and training. The German police selected the German Shepherd Dog as the ideal breed for police work and opened up the first dog training school in 1920 in Greenheide. [14] In later years, many Belgian Malinois dogs were added to the unit. The dogs were systematically trained in obedience to their officers and tracking and attacking criminals.

In Britain, the North Eastern Railway Police were among the first to use police dogs in 1908 to put a stop to theft from the docks in Hull. By 1910, railway police forces were experimenting with other breeds such as Belgian Malinois, Labrador Retrievers, and German shepherds. [15]

Training

Belgian Malinois being trained to attack Kintin al ataque (5189220934).jpg
Belgian Malinois being trained to attack

Popular dog breeds used by law enforcement include the Airedale terrier, Akita, Groenendael, Tervueren, Malinois dog, Bernese Mountain Dog, Bloodhound, Border Collie, Boxer, Bouvier des Flandres, Briard, Cane Corso, Bullmastiff, Croatian Sheepdog, Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd, German Shorthaired Pointer, Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, Rottweiler and English Springer Spaniel, Dogo Argentino.

Training of police dogs is a very lengthy process since it begins with the training of the canine handler. The canine handlers go through a long process of training to ensure that they will train the dog to the best of its ability. First, the canine handler has to complete the requisite police academy training and one to two years of patrol experience before becoming eligible to transfer to a specialty canine unit. [16] This is because the experience as an officer allows prospective canine officers to gain valuable experience in law enforcement. However, having dog knowledge and training outside of the police academy is considered to be an asset, this could be dog obedience, crowd control, communicating effectively with animals and being approachable and personable since having a dog will draw attention from surrounding citizens.

For a dog to be considered for a police department, it must first pass a basic obedience training course. They must be able to obey the commands of their handler without hesitation. [17] This allows the officer to have complete control over how much force the dog should use against a suspect. Dogs trained in Europe are usually given commands in the country's native language. Dogs are initially trained with this language for basic behavior, so, it is easier for the officer to learn new words/commands, rather than retraining the dog to new commands. This is contrary to the popular belief that police dogs are trained in a different language so that a suspect cannot command the dog against the officer. [18]

Dogs used in law enforcement are trained to either be "single purpose" or "dual purpose". Single-purpose dogs are used primarily for backup, personal protection, and tracking. Dual-purpose dogs, however, are more typical. Dual-purpose dogs do everything that single-purpose dogs do, and also detect either explosives or narcotics. Dogs can only be trained for one or the other because the dog cannot communicate to the officer if it found explosives or narcotics. When a narcotics dog in the United States indicates to the officer that it found something, the officer has probable cause to search whatever the dog alerted on (i.e. bag or vehicle) without a warrant, in most states. [19] [20]

In suspect apprehension, having a loud barking dog is helpful and can result in suspects surrendering without delay. [21]

Specialization

Police dogs can be specialized to perform in specific areas.

Retirement

Police dogs are retired if they become injured to an extent where they will not recover completely, pregnant or raising puppies, or are too old or sick to continue working. Since many dogs are raised in working environments for the first year of their life and retired before they become unable to perform, the working life of a dog is 6–9 years. [23]

However, when police dogs retire in some countries they may have the chance to receive a pension plan for their contribution to policing. In 2013, a pension scheme for police dogs in Nottinghamshire, England was introduced, wherein the police force offered £805 over the span of three years to cover any additional medical costs; the dogs were also allowed to be adopted by their original handler. [24]

In many countries, police dogs killed in the line of duty receive the same honors as their human partners. [25]

Accusations of brutality and racial partiality

A 2020 investigation coordinated by the Marshall Project found evidence of widespread deployment of police dogs in the U.S. as disproportionate force and disproportionately against people of color. A series of 13 linked reports found more than 150 cases from 2015 to 2020 of K-9 officers improperly using dogs as weapons to catch, bite, and injure people. [26] The rate of police K-9 bites in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a majority-Black city of 220,000 residents, averages more than double that of the next-ranked city, Indianapolis, and nearly one-third of the police dog bites are inflicted on teenage men, most of whom are Black. Medical researchers found that police dog attacks are "more like shark attacks than nips from a family pet" due to the aggressive training police dogs undergo. Many people bitten were not violent and were not suspected of crimes. Police officers are often shielded from liability, and federal civil rights laws don't typically cover bystanders who are bitten by mistake. Even when victims can bring cases, lawyers say they struggle because jurors tend to love police dogs. [27]

Usage by country and region

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guide dog</span> Assistance dog trained to lead visually impaired around obstacles

Guide dogs are assistance dogs trained to lead blind or visually impaired people around obstacles. Although dogs can be trained to navigate various obstacles, they are red–green colour blind and incapable of interpreting street signs. The human does the directing, based on skills acquired through previous mobility training. The handler might be likened to an aircraft's navigator, who must know how to get from one place to another, and the dog is the pilot, who gets them there safely. In several countries guide dogs, along with most other service and hearing dogs, are exempt from regulations against the presence of animals in places such as restaurants and public transportation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Labrador Retriever</span> British breed of retriever gun dog

The Labrador Retriever or simply Labrador is a British breed of retriever gun dog. It was developed in the United Kingdom from St. John's water dogs imported from the colony of Newfoundland, and was named after the Labrador region of that colony. It is among the most commonly kept dogs in several countries, particularly in the European world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">German Shepherd</span> German breed of shepherd dog

The German Shepherd, also known in Britain as an Alsatian, is a German breed of working dog of medium to large size. The breed was developed by Max von Stephanitz using various traditional German herding dogs from 1899.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schutzhund</span> Protection dog sport which includes tracking and obedience

Schutzhund, currently known competitively as IGP and previously as IPO, is a dog sport that tests a dog's tracking, obedience, and protection skills, and evaluates if a dog has the appropriate traits and characteristics of a good working dog. It was developed in Germany in the early 1900s as a suitability test for German Shepherds, but soon became the model for training and evaluating all five of the German protection breeds, which included Boxer, Dobermann, Giant Schnauzer, and Rottweiler. Though any breed of dog can participate, today the sport is dominated by German Shepherds and the Belgian Shepherd breed. Dog owners and handlers participate in Schutzhund clubs as a group activity for training the dogs, and clubs sponsor trials to test the dogs and award titles. The best dogs can qualify to participate in national and international level championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herding dog</span> Type of dog used for herding

A herding dog, also known as a stock dog or working dog, is a type of dog that either has been trained in herding livestock or belongs to one of the breeds that were developed for herding. A dog specifically trained to herd sheep is known as a sheep dog or shepherd dog, and one trained to herd cattle is known as a cattle dog or cow dog.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gun dog</span> Hunting dog type

Gun dogs or bird dogs are types of hunting dogs developed to assist hunters in finding and retrieving game, typically various fowls that are shot down on the flight. The term hunting dog is broad and includes all breeds and skills of hunting canines, but "gun dogs" refers to canines that are trained to work alongside a loud firearm while hunting or retrieving game. Gun dogs are divided into three main categories: pointers and retrievers, setters and spaniels, and water dogs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belgian Shepherd</span> Dog breed

The Belgian Shepherd, also known as the Belgian Sheepdog or the Chien de Berger Belge, is a Belgian breed of herding dog of medium size. It is bred in four distinct varieties based on coat type and colour: the long-haired black Groenendael; the rough-haired fawn Laekenois; the short-haired fawn Malinois, and the long-haired fawn Tervuren. The American Kennel Club considers the four varieties to be separate breeds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Detection dog</span> Dog trained to detect certain substances

A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones. The sense most used by detection dogs is smell. Hunting dogs that search for game, and search and rescue dogs that work to find missing humans are generally not considered detection dogs but fit instead under their own categories. There is some overlap, as in the case of cadaver dogs, trained to search for human remains.

The Federal Police is the national and principal federal law enforcement agency of the German Federal Government, subordinate to the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community. The Federal Police is responsible for border control, law enforcement across airports and railways, and the protection of federal institutions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dutch Shepherd</span> Dog breed

The Dutch Shepherd is a herding dog of Dutch origin. They were used by shepherds and farmers who needed a versatile dog that made few demands and was able to adapt to a harsh and meager existence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Search and rescue dog</span> Dog trained to locate or retrieve a missing or trapped person

A search-and-rescue (SAR) dog is a dog trained to respond to crime scenes, accidents, missing persons events, as well as natural or man-made disasters. These dogs detect human scent, which is a distinct odor of skin flakes and water and oil secretions unique to each person and have been known to find people under water, snow, and collapsed buildings, as well as remains buried underground. SAR dogs are a non-invasive aid in the location of humans, alive or deceased.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dogs in warfare</span>

Dogs have a very long history in warfare, starting in ancient times. From being trained in combat, to their use as the scouts, sentries, messengers, mercy dogs, and trackers, their uses have been varied and some continue to exist in modern military usage.

The Dog Support Unit (DSU) is a Met Operations branch of London's Metropolitan Police, providing trained police dogs and police officer handlers.

On August 8, 2007, during a canine training exercise, North Carolina Highway Patrol Sgt. Charles L. Jones was video taped by cell phone hanging his assigned police dog by the neck and repeatedly kicking the dog in order for it to release a chew toy that was in the dog's mouth. Jones claimed he was following proper canine handling procedure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">K9s4COPs</span>

In June 2010, K9s4COPs was founded by Kristi Schiller of Houston, Texas, to raise charitable funds to donate K9s to law enforcement agencies and school districts across the nation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Military Working Dog Teams National Monument</span> National Monument of the United States in Texas

The U.S. Military Working Dog Teams National Monument is a monument to military working dogs located at Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA)-Lackland in San Antonio, Texas. The monument represents handlers, dogs, and veterinary support, from all military service branches that have made up the Military Working Dog program since World War II. The monument grounds include a 3,000 square feet granite plaza, granite pedestals, granite history wall, granite benches and water fountain. The granite pedestals have large bronze statues of dogs and handlers. The monument was dedicated on October 28, 2013.

K9 Killer was a Belgian Malinois dog that worked with the Kruger National Park's Special Operations team to apprehend rhinoceros poachers in South Africa. On 6 January 2016, he was awarded a PDSA Gold Medal for his anti-poaching work. Amos Mzimba is the owner of K9 Killer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Explosives Detection Canine Team Program</span>

The National Explosives Detection Canine Team Program is a program administered by the Transportation Security Administration which uses law enforcement and TSA-run explosives detection dog teams to detect explosives in transportation environments.

Michael B. Ritland born in Waterloo, Iowa is a former United States Navy SEAL, public speaker and dog trainer. He created the Warrior Dog Foundation, to provide care to dogs that have ended their service in battle front, and the Team Dog Online Training Community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worldwide usage of police dogs</span>

In law enforcement work, police dogs are used worldwide for a variety of purposes that include apprehension, detection, and search and rescue.

References

References

  1. "About K-9s". National Police Dog Foundation. Retrieved 22 May 2022. K-9 or K9 (a homophone of canine)
  2. "What Do K-9 Police Dogs Do?". American Kennel Club. 3 September 2021. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  3. "What Breeds Make the Best drugs Dogs". 3DK9 Detection Services. 28 October 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2022. German Shepherd Dog. The typical breed associated with law enforcement work.
  4. "K9 Unit: Duties and Responsibilities". New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Archived from the original on 3 August 2017. Retrieved 22 May 2022. They are expected to follow both verbal and hand commands of their handler.
  5. "FAQs". AMSOIL Northland Law Enforcement K-9 Foundation. 2021. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  6. "18 USC 1368 – Harming Animals Used in Law Enforcement". United States Code. 26 October 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2022 via OneCLE.
  7. "Police dogs and horses to receive special protections in South Australia". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 26 August 2013. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  8. "Police K-9 Unit". Central Falls, Rhode Island Police Department. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  9. "sleuth (n.) – Etymology, Origin, and Meaning". Online Etymology Dictionary . a figurative use of a word that dates back to late 14c. meaning a kind of bloodhound
  10. 1 2 Peña, Melvin (1 July 2014). "Police Dogs: Just the Facts". Dogster . Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  11. Beattie, J. M. (2012). The First English Detectives. The Bow Street Runners and the Policing of London, 1750–1840. Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0-19-969516-4.
  12. "Casebook:Jack The Ripper". Atchison Daily Globe. 17 October 1888.
  13. "The Origins of Police K-9". Archived from the original on 18 February 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
  14. "History of the Police Dog". Archived from the original on 30 May 2012. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
  15. "The Dog Section". British Transport Police.
  16. "How to Become a K9 Officer: Career and Salary Information". Criminal Justice Degree Schools. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  17. "Dogs of all nations : Mason, Walter Esplin, 1867– : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive". Internet Archive. 1915.
  18. Grabianowski, Ed (3 May 2004). "How Police Dogs Work". How Stuff Works. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  19. SitStay. "Police dog training 101". sitstay.com. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  20. "The K9 Unit | Police Dogs and How They are Trained". SoundOff Signal. 8 September 2016. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  21. Peralta, Jessica (27 November 2019). "Longtime Westminster police officer, K9 decoy gets new partner — finally". Behind the Badge Foundation. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  22. Hardesty, Greg (5 February 2020). "Meet K9 Iggy, the Orange County Sheriff's Department's first gun-detecting dog". behindthebadge.com.
  23. Hartov, Oren. "Proactive Deterrence" (PDF). K-9 Cop Magazine. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 May 2013. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
  24. Olsen, Kevin (2013). "English police force sets up retirement plan for dogs". Pensions & Investments. 41 (24): 8.
  25. "K-9 Burial Protocol "The Rocky Protocol"" (PDF). www.sheriffs.org. National Sheriffs' Association. 22 May 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  26. VanSickle, Abbie; Stephens, Challen; Martin, Ryan; Kelleher, Dana Brozost; Fan, Andrew (2 October 2020). "When Police Violence Is a Dog Bite". The Marshall Project. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  27. Remkus, Ashley (2 October 2020). "We Spent A Year Investigating Police Dogs. Here Are Six Takeaways". The Marshall Project. Retrieved 20 February 2023.

Works cited