It appears law-abiding citizens have lost another battle. The civil liberties folks have persuaded our provincial government to rein in police dogs. The B.C. government has introduced new rules for the training and deployment of police dogs, months after a report singled out dog bites as the leading cause of injuries.
The Pivot Legal Society released a report that concluded police dogs are the leading cause of injury by RCMP and municipal forces in B.C. and, apparently the bad guys are upset that they are getting bitten when fleeing from crimes where they have beaten, stabbed or shot someone, or stolen something from some law-abiding citizen.
The study found that police forces should train service dogs with a method called 鈥渃ircle and bark鈥� as opposed to the other leading technique that sees the dogs 鈥渂ite-and-hold.鈥�
Now, introducing new methods into any organization is always a challenge. For instance, the fire service has long been known as an organization with 200 years of tradition unimpeded by progress. We never liked to do things differently and learning new techniques was always a chore.
I can only imagine Moses walking down that mountain with the 10 Commandments thinking, 鈥淭he boys aren鈥檛 going to be happy about these changes.鈥�
So the press has been told about these new changes for police dogs, the public and the police forces have been told, but has anyone told the police dogs?
This reporter sat down with two experienced German shepherd police dogs, Rex and Major, the president and vice-president of the Canine Rescue and Police Dogs Organization (CRAPDON). They had only heard rumors about the changes and when I informed them they were now official, their ears perked up.
鈥淵ou know,鈥� said Rex, shaking his head, rattling his collar. 鈥淲e鈥檙e doing our job and we end up in the dog house. I suppose one day soon we鈥檒l get a call to come to the training ground and some old sergeant, close to retirement, will order us all to 鈥榮it, stay,鈥� and then deliver a 20 minute Power Point on how not to hurt the Bad Guys.
鈥淭he young pups might pay attention for a while but for guys like Major and I, well, you can鈥檛 teach old dogs new tricks.鈥�
鈥淭hey are saying we have to practise more restraint,鈥� barked Major. 鈥淒o you have any idea how much restraint we show now when we are in a ditch holding some scumbag carjacker by his kibbles and bits and not giving him a K-9 vasectomy? We are highly trained to bring these jerks to the ground.鈥�
鈥淚 think it is all about cost-saving,鈥� growls Rex. 鈥淲e big breeds eat a lot and we have to be transported in big SUVs. If they go to this 鈥榗ircle and bark program,鈥� they can respond with Yorkies in Smart cars. I鈥檓 not sure how effective that will be but, mind you, if some gangbanger is cornered by a yappy little mutt with pink ribbons in her ears who just won鈥檛 shut up, he may surrender.鈥�
Major summed it up, 鈥淓veryone is protecting the bad guys. Right now, in the dark, on the ground, we鈥檙e the only ones concerned with protecting the public.鈥�
The civil liberties people are trying to convince us that a dog鈥檚 bark is worse than his bite.
When it comes to your safety, don鈥檛 believe it. At least that鈥檚 what McGregor says.
