Restrict Police Attack Dogs

WE NEED STATE LAW TO RESTRICT POLICE ATTACK DOGS

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It is our job as a community to ensure our government is employing measures that support public safety rather than endanger it.

Yet, California police still use the outdated, dangerous practice of attack dogs to threaten and brutally maul our residents.

In just the last few years, police have used attack dogs to injure hundreds of people across California so badly that these individuals faced a significant risk of death or permanent impairment of a body part. Millions in taxpayers' dollars have been used to cover settlements for officer misconduct.

Despite the dangers posed by police dogs, there are no state or national standards to govern their use.

March 1, 2024 Update: ACLU California Action does not support the existing legislation related to police attack dogs currently pending in the state legislature. Both AB 2042 and AB 3241 would cede responsibility to the Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.), which has demonstrated a track record for not being able to bring forth any meaningful transparency or reform for police behavior.

Contact your Assemblymember and State Senator today to urge them to create clear and precise restrictions to limit the use of police attack dogs into statewide law.

Message Recipients:
Your California State Assemblymember
Your State Senator

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Subject Reject AB 2042 and AB 3241

I am extremely concerned by California Law Enforcement Agencies current use of police dogs in our district.

Message Body

Police dogs have caused immense harm in the communities police are sworn to protect. Over the past few years, police dogs have mauled hundreds of Californians so badly that they faced the risk of death or permanent injury, leading to settlements costing taxpayers millions of dollars. Sadly, most Californians injured by these dogs are unarmed and pose no risk to officers or the public. Even worse, approximately half of those injured by police dogs were exhibiting signs of mental disability or crisis when police dogs were deployed.

The Legislature cannot afford to ignore this stark reality. I am asking that you reject AB 2042 and AB 3241. While AB 2042 and AB 3241 both purport to regulate police dogs, all these bills do is create a false impression of a solution. These ineffective bills waste millions in taxpayer dollars and put the Legislature’s stamp of approval on the unjustifiable and unsustainable status quo.

AB 2042 asks the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST), a law enforcement body, to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars formalizing the current, problematic standard practices surrounding the use police dogs. Further, despite the inexplicable accounts of police dog attacks that prompted these bills, AB 3241 does not require Law Enforcement Agencies to publish data related to accidental bites, illegitimate deployments, or the cost of settlements arising from these attacks. These bills completely miss the mark as neither hold Law Enforcement Agencies accountable for dog attacks or offer public transparency on the use of canine units.

Both bills mandate training, equipment, and reporting requirements that will undoubtedly create unknown and ongoing costs for an already depleted state budget. Yet, police will still be allowed to abuse Californians with police dogs, local governments will continue to pour millions of taxpayer dollars into settlements, and there will be no benefit to public safety.

For these reasons, I ask that you reject AB 2042 and AB 3241 as neither bill addresses the real issues surrounding police dog attacks.

Sincerely,

[First Name] [Last Name]
[Your Address]

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Restrict Police Attack Dogs

WE NEED STATE LAW TO RESTRICT POLICE ATTACK DOGS

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