SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A new proposal could change how our police officers use K-9 units.
Two California lawmakers have introduced a bill that, if passed, would greatly restrict the use of police dogs.
ABC 10News spoke with San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit to learn how the bill would affect their department.
“Our police K-9s are one of our best, if not our best, de-escalation tools,” said Chief Nisleit.
Nisleit says their dogs are one of the departments strongest assets when it comes to arresting a dangerous suspect.
Earlier this month, it was a police dog that helped them arrest a murder suspect after a wild chase that ended on the I-5 freeway. Last year, ABC 10News covered a K-9 who helped SDPD arrest a man wanted for assault after a chase through the San Diego riverbed.
“We have to go into canyons to find people. If i don’t have a dog that means i have to put officers in that canyon,” said Nisleit.
The new bill AB 742 would prevent the use of police dogs for the purpose of “arrest, apprehension, or any form of crowd control.”
“It’s very simple. To avoid having a K-9 deployed on you, don’t be involved in a violent felony. Or two, if you’re contacted by a police officer who happens to have a dog…they’re going to give you orders. Comply with those orders and a dog will not be released,” he said.
Chief Nisleit says if officers can’t use K-9s to help de-escalate or apprehend a suspect, they’d likely have to resort to another form of force.
“This is actually counterproductive. It would result in more levels of force. It would result in more officer-involved shootings. Again, not what I want not. Not what the community wants,” he said.
According to a release, the bill was introduced “to end a deeply racialized and harmful practice that has been a mainstay in America's history of racial bias and violence against Black Americans and people of color.”
The bill cites data that suggests communities of color or more likely to be bitten by a police dog.
“I just want everyone to be aware I understand calls for change in law enforcement, but this is not it,” said Nisleit.
Chief Nisleit also says looking at the last 5 years, K-9 units were deployed almost 11,000 times. Out of those deployments, he says there have been 150 cases where a suspect was bitten. And in most cases, he says a suspect surrenders after hearing the dog barking.
“Again, this is an incredible tool. And if this gets removed, you’re going to see the adverse effect. And that’s not what anybody wants.”
If the bill ultimately passes and is signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, the state would be the first to adopt this type of restriction on police dog use.
