Several K-9 units were spotted parked in the red zone outside Horton Plaza on Tuesday with the engines running – parked illegally right?
Wrong.
San Diego police spokesperson Audra Brown said several K-9 units were called to the Westfield mall to check on a burglary alarm at one of the stores.
When the officers are on a call, they can park anywhere – even a red zone, Brown said.
As for leaving the dogs in the car with the engine running, it’s protocol due to a few unfortunate incidents where dogs died after being left inside the car.
The cars are equipped with a so-called Chilly Dog System, according to Brown. The system is an air conditioner that runs in the back seat.
So, the question begs to be asked, isn’t that a security concern?
“There’s a police dog in it that will chew you up if you get inside it,” Brown said laughing.
The dogs are very protective of their vehicles, even around other officers.
So if a wanna-be thief jumps in and wants to try his/her luck?
“They could try but they won’t get far,” she said.
