With national statistics showing a dog is shot by a police officer every 98 minutes on average, Councilman Paul Koretz and Assemblyman Adrin Nazarian voiced support Friday for a state Assembly bill requiring training for officers who encounter dogs.
The two lawmakers appeared with Judie Mancuso, founder and president of Social Compassion in Legislation, and a group of canines during a news conference outside Van Nuys City Hall.
“Police officers want this training and dog owners want this training, it’s a win-win for everyone,” said Nazarian, who authored the bill. Police officers without proper training are too often stuck in a terrible lose-lose situation. We need to proactively train police officers to ensure that they feel safe, and our family dogs are safe.”
Koretz also submitted a resolution calling on the City Council to support Nazarian’s bill.
“Dealing with dogs without discharging firearms should be a standard part of law enforcement training,” said Koretz, who is chairman of the Personnel and Animal Welfafe Committee. “Here, in Los Angeles, we’re blessed not to suffer a rash of these incidents, but one is too many and the training can help to reduce the number statewide.”
The bill, AB 1199, would direct the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training to develop and implement training for officers, which would include understanding the behavior of dogs and options for non-lethal force when handling the encounters.
“Sadly, a dog is shot every 98 minutes by a police officer in the United States. When voted into law, AB 1199, the Police Canine Encounters Protection Act, will require mandatory in-service canine encounter training to California peace officers on how to both quickly and safely respond to unexpected situations when encountering a dog,” Mancuso said. “The public has long been demanding canine encounter training, and that time has come.”
— City News Service