One thing that I never fully understood was why police officers shoot and kill dogs. As a police officer myself, and an avid animal lover, shooting a dog seems a bit extreme. I feel as though dogs do not pose as life threatening danger to police officers (in some cases they could). The majority of the time, non-lethal tactics could be used such as strikes, pepper spray, tasers, batons and so on. I do not think I could bring myself to shoot a dog, only under extreme circumstances. We know that people treat their pets as family members, as do I. When police shootings occur involving dogs, it can cause an uproar and a distrust between citizens and police.
Some breeds of dogs are plagued with stereotypes of being extremely dangerous, or deadly. In some cases, this could be the reason for the police-dog shootings. Proper police training on dog encounters could potentially improve how these encounters play out. This is a two way street as well, dog owners can take extra measures to ensure their dog does not get out, or make sure they are on a leash when being walked. Overall, more training is needed for law enforcement. "According to Karen L., Amendola, PhD, Chief Behavioral Scientist with the National Police Foundation, "Clearly, there is a pressing need for more evidence-based knowledge to be conveyed to law enforcement officers regarding breed-specific behavior stereotypes and the differences between K-9 and companion dog behavior."(Sept. 2019).
To conclude, in order to put a stop to unnecessary police shootings of dogs, better and more consistent training is needed. I am not saying that all shootings of dogs are unnecessary, in some cases, it was. We are just looking to prevent violence, and to better prepare the police for dealing with various situations involving dogs.
"Report on Reducing Dog Shootings in Police Encounters." Law Enforcement Product News, Sept. 2019, p. 34. Gale OneFile: Criminal Justice, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A603845723/PPCJ?u=mlin_n_danvers&sid=PPCJ&xid=46a6119a. Accessed 21 Jan. 2020.
I believe dogs are usually should not be shot 100%, but in some cases I believe a police officer has to do what he has to do not get bit by a dog strong enough to rip his hand and or arm off.
ReplyDeleteI think you hit the nail on the head in terms of the problem at hand. Unfortunately, sometimes dogs can be a genuine threat to the safety of the police officer and it may have to happen, but I feel like it is a rare occasion. The one time we had to call the police to the house, my mom was terrified of the cops seeing our rottweiler (who was an amazing dog) and mistaking him for a threat. I was too young to understand at the time, but looking back now, it is definitely a very sad truth. As you stated, I think more training on the matter would be great, but I also agree that sometimes it is necessary.
ReplyDeleteI think it is really cool to get the perception on this issue from a police officer them self, as you state in the opening paragraph. The issue coming from someone with first hand experience really gives me, as a reader, a whole different feeling on the topic. I also like how you address the issues from not only the police officers shooting dogs, but also the dog owners. After reading, I hope that this issue gets some more coverage.
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