San Diego Law Enforcement Should Implement Aggressive Dog Procedures: Report

They found that officer dog shootings were “more than an isolated incident.”

San Diego-area law enforcement agencies should implement procedures for dealing with aggressive and dangerous dogs, according to a report by the San Diego County Grand Jury.

From 2010 to 2014, law enforcement officers in the County have killed 56 aggressive dogs protecting their owners and injured eight more. The San Diego County Grand Jury looked into the issue to find out if recent shootings were rare or more common than they believed.

They found that officer dog shootings were “more than an isolated incident.”

The Grand Jury spoke to senior staff from four local police departments on their methods for dealing with aggressive dogs and surveyed local departments to tally how many dogs had been killed.

Additionally, they received a presentation from the Sheriff’s Department on their procedures, reviewed local ordinance laws and looked into whether the issue had been addressed in other parts of the state.

The San Marcos substation of the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department (SDSO) had previously instituted a training program meant to help their deputies understand how to recognize and handle aggressive dogs. This program, the report finds, could be a model for other agencies. 

Robbie Benson, president and founder of San Diego AWOL, a non-profit that works with law enforcement to teach them about safe interactions with dogs, said in a statement that the report left out some information. The organization trained the San Diego Sheriff's deputies on dog handling procedures that the report references as a positive model.

The report is wrong in that is assumes, he said, that most dogs are aggresive by nature.

"Dogs consider the body language taught and used by law enforcement officers confrontational," Benson said. "In fact, it incites canine aggression and starts the scenario that many times, with officers untrained in safe dog encounters, ends up costing a dog its life."

When dealing with these dogs, the Sheriff’s Department brings tools like beanbags and mace to homes where a dog lives but officers are justified in using things like a baton to ensure their safety, the report said. According to numbers compiled in the report, the SDSO had the most incidents with dogs at 31.

Other departments, however, did not offer specific training. El Cajon, Oceanside and La Mesa police department did not offer formal training to their officers on how to handle aggressive dogs. Of those agencies, El Cajon and Oceanside law enforcement agencies have not put in place measures meant to reduce or eliminate officer-involved dog shootings.

Carlsbad, Chula Vista, Coronado, El Cajon, La Mesa, National City, Oceanside and San Diego police departments as well as the SDSO do not educate the public on their office’s procedures when it comes to dealing with aggressive dogs.

The Grand Jury found that enforcement agencies could improve the safety of their officers while minimizing harm to dogs if they offered training sessions to their officers. These same agencies should provide information to the community about their practices, the report found.

The report recommended implementing procedures for dealing with aggressive and dangerous dogs, educating the community on its practices, and providing copies of the department’s training program to other agencies to collaborate.

The bottom line of the report, however, is positive, Benson said. 

"Our concern is that they all be trained with a comprehensive and uniform curriculum that involves several important steps in safe dog encounters," Benson said. 

The Grand Jury spoke to senior staff from four local police departments on their methods for dealing with aggressive dogs and surveyed local departments to tally how many dogs had been killed. Additionally, they received a presentation from the Sheriff’s Department on their procedures, reviewed local ordinance laws and looked into whether the issue had been addressed in other parts of the state.

The report recommended implementing procedures for dealing with aggressive and dangerous dogs, educating the community on its practices, and providing copies of the department’s training program to other agencies to collaborate.

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