HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-01-10 City Council (7), I
searches (indoors and outdoors) and high-risk traffic stops. After completion of the basic course,
all canine teams are required to attend bi-weekly training sessions in order to maintain their high
level of proficiency. Finally, all canine teams are required to be evaluated by an outside evaluator
on an annual basis to maintain their Commission on Peace Officers' Standards and Training
celiification.
In addition to the basic canine celiification, police dogs can also be trained and certified in dmg
detection. The Police Department has had a total of three dogs cross-trained in dmg detection over
the length of the program. Currently, there is one drug detection dog in the Department. The
additional training for the drug detection canine certification consists of an additional 120-hour
POST course and annual recertification.
The handler is responsible for providing care, feeding and grooming of the dog seven days a week.
Handlers keep their dogs at home where they have become family pets.
Canine handlers drive a specially designed patrol vehicle. These vehicles have had the rear seats
removed and a platform installed to better accommodate the dog. The vehicles have also had metal
screens installed over the rear side windows to allow the handler to lower the windows for
ventilation without allowing people to reach into the vehicle or the dog to exit the vehicle. All
canine vehicles are marked as "K-9" with distinctive caution signs. While police canines are
trained not to deploy on their own, they are trained to be protective of their handler and their patrol
vehicle. All canine vehicles are also equipped with a remote door release feature that allows the
handler to remotely open the rear door if he/she wishes to summon the dog after having exited the
vehicle. Unless the dog observes that the handler is under attack, the dog will not exit the vehicle
even after the door has been opened remotely until the handler verbally calls for the dog to exit the
vehicle.
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Use of Canines -Canines respond to in-progress calls such as burglaries, prowlers, robberies and
foot pursuits. They are used to search open areas such as fields, backyards and parking lots for
suspects and evidence. They are also be used to search buildings such as large businesses and
residences for individuals suspected or known to be hiding inside. Because of the dog's advanced
tracking abilities, one canine team can search a large commercial building, house or a number of
backyards for a suspect in a fraction of the time it would take officers. If a canine team has
searched a backyard or a building without locating a suspect, there is an extremely high probability
there is no suspect in the specific area. The same cannot be said with the same level of confidence
when the search is conducted only using officers.
When a police canine team is deployed to search for a suspect that has fled a crime scene or is
reported to be inside a structure, the handler will take all the circumstances into consideration to
determine if the search will be conducted on or off leash. The time of day, number of people in the
area, type of suspected criminal activity and age of the suspect are all taken into account. When
there is a specific location the officers believe the suspect may be hiding or before searching a
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building with a possible hidden suspect, the officers give a verbal warning that they are about to
release the dog and if the suspect does not surrender, he/she is subject to being bitten by the dog.
This warning is given multiple times, and depending upon the area being searched, may be given
over the public address system of the patrol car from mUltiple locations. Most suspects will
surrender once they hear that a canine is on the premises.
When a subject is suspected to be in a specific area or structure, responding patrol units will
establish a perimeter to contain the suspect. After the proper warnings have been given regarding
the use of the police dog and the suspect chooses to ignore these warnings, the police canine team
will begin their search. Once the dog locates the suspect, the dog is trained to "bark and hold"
which alerts the handler of the suspect's location. If the suspect does not run or attack the dog or
the handler, the dog will take no further action. However, if it is still unsafe for the officers to
approach the suspect, the handler may release the dog to apprehend the suspect. The dog will bite
and hold the suspect until he gives up and complies with the officer's commands. As soon as the
suspect. complies or is no longer considered a threat, the handler will order the dog to release the
suspect. All police dogs are trained to immediately release a suspect upon command of the handler.
All subjects bitten by police canines are taken to Stanford Hospital for treatment and evaluation
prior to being booked into jail. All incidents of canine bites are documented in a crime report, as
well as a supervisor's administrative use of force investigation. The canine supervisor, the manager
ofthe canine program, the Patrol Captain and the Chief of Police review all of these investigations.
The majority of day-to..:day canine deployments do 110t result in dog bites. Staff reviewed all canine
bite incidents for the last three years. A total of thirteen have occurred. Of the 13 bites, four .
involved Whites, five involved African-Americans, three involved Hispanics and one involved a
Pacific Islander. The following is a short description of the circumstances in each incident:
• Burglary suspect believed to be inside of store at 1 :30 a.m. The dog was deployed after the
suspect failed to surrender after being ordered to exit the building and after an
announcement was made that the dog would be sent in unless he came out. (Hispanic)
• Multi-agency search warrant for parolee/felon-at-large. Dog was deployed after the suspect
ran from officers and refused to surrender. (White)
• Suspect who was prowling in a resident's backyard at l:30a.m. failed to surrender after
being ordered to do so and after a warning the dog would be released. (African-American)
• Suspect who had stolen a vehicle fled from the officers. Suspect pulled into a driveway of a
home and was ordered to stop. After a foot pursuit through several yards, the dog was
deployed. (African-American)
• Suspect in a theft from a store downtown fled from police into an adjacent residential area.
After a foot pursuit through several yards, suspect was located hiding in some bushes. The
suspect was ordered to come out and surrender or the dog would be deployed. The suspect
refused to come out. (Pacific Islander)
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• Suspect in drunk: driving case ran from officers. After a lengthy foot pursuit, the dog was
deployed after suspect refused to surrender. (African-American)
• Robbery suspect armed, with a knife fled on foot when officers attempted to arrest him.
After a five-hour search, the suspect was located in some bushes. He refused to surrender
after being ordered to and after he was told the dog would be deployed. (African-American)
• Suspect involved in a fight fled from the officers and was located hiding in the bushes. The
suspect was ordered to surrender and wamed that the dog would be deployed. The suspect
refused to surrender. (White)
• During assistance provided to the Menlo Park Police Department with the arrest of suspects
in a theft case, the suspects fled and began running through yards. One suspect surrendered.
The other hid in some thick ivy. He was ordered to sun-ender and wamed that the dog'
would be deployed ifhe didn't. He refused to surrender. (African-American)
• Suspects observed breaking into a car fled when officers arrived. One suspect surrendered
and the other continued running after being ordered to stop. (Hispanic)
• Burglary suspect ran out of the store when the officers arrived and was subsequently found
hiding in the yard of an adjacent residence. He ignored repeated commands to surrender and
, the dog was deployed. (Hispanic)
• Suspect in a drunk driving case ran from the officer. After refusing commands to stop, the
dog was deployed. (White)
• Two suspects were beating a subject. The suspects were ordered to stop, but ignored the
officers. The dog was deployed and was able to subdue one suspect and the other
immediately surrendered. (White)
Community Outreach
While much of the focus of canine programs is placed on the apprehension and injury to su~pects,
the Palo Alto Police canine program has enjoyed strong involvement with the community over the
years. The dogs and their handlers have provided demonstrations for local Police and Fire Shows,
Citizens Academy classes, Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, countless school programs and police
building tours. As a result of this public outreach, earlier this year the Cub and Girl Scouts at
Addison Elementary School held a "Dog-a-Thon" to raise money for the purchase of ballistic vests
for the police dogs. The children were able to raise over $800. Staff is in the process of purchasing
these vests that will greatly enhance the safety of the dogs.
Beginning in January 2005, staff will begin using the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system to
track the many activities of the canine teams. Staff will be able to list in detail the number of times
the teams are used for searches, community events and arrests. This detailed analysis will give a
better understanding of the wide range of activities and flexibility of the canine program and its
value to the community.
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