ACTION ALERT - Outdated Practice of Police Dogs

TW: descriptions of violence, police brutality

Police dogs are often portrayed as harmless, loveable members of the local police. But many departments across the country use dogs as weapons, training the animals to bite thousands of people every year, causing serious and even fatal injuries. Cases across the country have reported K9's causing torn muscles, nerve damage, scars and dangerous infections. Police dogs have been known to damage vocal cords, tear scalps and even rip faces off. Not surprisingly, people sometimes bleed to death and die from the injuries caused by K9's.

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. Moreover, public records demonstrate a disturbing pattern of racialized violence of police attack dogs across California.

This week, ACLU California Action released a new, first-of-its-kind report examining the outdated and dangerous police practice of using attack dogs to bite and maim members of the public.

Based on our analysis of official data, policies, and public records obtained from 37 police agencies across California, the report details: 

• How police are using attack dogs to inflict serious injuries on people who do not pose a danger to officers or others. 
• How police are using attack dogs to bite and threaten people experiencing a behavioral health crisis.
• How police use attack dogs to perpetrate racialized violence.
• How police cannot adequately control their attack dogs, who regularly maul bystanders and fail to stop attacking when recalled.
• How state law and police policies fail to provide accountability when individuals are harmed by their indiscriminate and unnecessary use. 

We ask our advocates and supporters to help us get the message out about the outdated and brutal practice of using police dogs, and current legislation focused on restricting the use of police canines by creating statewide statewide standards in California. AB 742 (Corey Jackson; D-Riverside) would help create and enforce these standards.

AB 742 must pass a floor vote in the Assembly by 1/31 to move to the Senate. Please access and use these toolkits:

• Social media toolkit: www.aclucalaction.org/ab742-toolkit
• Includes graphics and sample social copy to easily copy and paste onto your channels.
• Please remember to tag @ACLU_CalAction on any posts so we can re-amplify from your organization.
• AB 742 assembly action alert: www.aclucalaction.org/pass-ab742
• Action alert to contact Legislators to pass AB 742.

You can also read and download the full report from ACLU California Action, “Weaponizing Dogs: The Brutal and Outdated Practice of Police Attack Dogs" (opens in PDF).