The headlines seem common. Family pet, shot by police officer. The family is upset about losing their family pet and the police are painted as uncaring, uncompassionate people.
Being a police officer is tough work. By definition, they're often dealing with the criminal element. And often, find themselves caught in the situations where they have to make split-second, life or death decisions.
A new program in Kansas City is helping to minimize the number of times these life-or-death decisions involve shooting, and killing, a pet.
For a couple of years, Anthony Barnett has been traveling with the city's SWAT teams when the go to serve warrants. It is not uncommon for the SWAT officers to encounter dogs when they serve these warrants. Sometimes the dogs are aggressive. Sometimes they are fearful -- which is understandable when a house is being raided by a group of uniformed officers.
Barnett has been working with the officers to help them better understand situations from the dog's perspective -- to help them difuse more issues without using violent force. The police force has also purchased four dog-specific tasers -- designed specifically for dogs -- that can help them control a dog without using their guns.
Since the program was put in place, the number of dogs that have been killed by police has dropped 80%.
A tip of the hat to the KCMO police department for working more compassion into their highly-challenging jobs and coming up with solutions that protect officers, and pets.
Read more at KCTV5 -- including a 2 minute video.
Edit: Note that it sounds like Austin has put in place a similar program to help control police shootings of dogs. Great news.
I was about to post the link to the Austin article, just saw it in the paper version here today. This is a town where quite a few dogs live outside a good portion of the year due to the mild winter weather, so it's good to see officers getting training on this issue.
Posted by: Joel Lahrman | September 10, 2014 at 11:48 AM
Common sense and compassion together. Great work KC police department. I hope this spreads across the land.
Posted by: Jan | September 10, 2014 at 12:24 PM
Very timely blog Brent. Thanks. Sharing!!!
Posted by: Cheryl Huerta | September 10, 2014 at 01:41 PM
Thankfully we have not had many police shootings of dogs in Jacksonville. Great eye-opening article on a very sad topic. Thanks for posting!
Posted by: Jack Bobeck | September 10, 2014 at 05:03 PM
Wow. This is awesome news! I wish the police officer in Spokane, WA, had this training before he shot the black Lab in a van while the owner was having breakfast in a cafe, thinking it was a pit bull.
Posted by: Jen Brighton | September 10, 2014 at 05:14 PM
After reading many accounts of dogs, and other animals, killed by police officers, I have concluded that, in many of the cases, the officer kills the animal because he wants to, and he gets by with it. These officers have their lying justification jargon down to a science.
Not all police officers are ethical. There have been a number of these killings in and around my area in IL, and not one of them has been a swat event nor the serving of a warrant. I have joined the protests against this vicious behavior by arrogant, conscienceless law enforcement employees.
Unfortunately, many of the victim's (animals) families cannot afford to pursue their cases in court. However, of those who can and do, it is comforting to know that some judgements have been in favor of the plaintiffs. As the judgements cost municipalities embarrassment and financial burden, law enforcement is/will be pushed to clean-up their act.
While it's true that a policeman's job can be a thankless one, it is a serious risk to municipalities and the public when officers use their badges and guns to be vigilantes. If individuals don't have the personalities and control required by the job, then they have no business in such a job. After all, police officers are *employees* not gods.
Posted by: stopslavery | September 11, 2014 at 10:44 PM
After reading many accounts of dogs, and other animals, killed by police officers, I have concluded that, in many of the cases, the officer kills the animal because he wants to, and he gets by with it. These officers have their lying justification jargon down to a science.
Not all police officers are ethical. There have been a number of these killings in and around my area in IL, and not one of them has been a swat event nor the serving of a warrant. I have joined the protests against this vicious behavior by arrogant, conscienceless law enforcement employees.
Unfortunately, many of the victim's (animals) families cannot afford to pursue their cases in court. However, of those who can and do, it is comforting to know that some judgements have been in favor of the plaintiffs. As the judgements cost municipalities embarrassment and financial burden, law enforcement is/will be pushed to clean-up their act.
While it's true that a policeman's job can be a thankless one, it is a serious risk to municipalities and the public when officers use their badges and guns to be vigilantes. If individuals don't have the personalities and control required by the job, then they have no business in such a job. After all, police officers are *employees* not gods.
Posted by: stopslavery | September 11, 2014 at 10:44 PM
This is a really important issue
according to the documentary puppycide there is a dog shot by law enforcement officers every 98 minutes in the USA
Since our therapy dog Vinny was shot by a officer at the wrong address we have become advocates for mandatory animal behavioral training for police everywhere
On Oct. 25, 2014 we are having rally's in conjunction with 50 other states to stand up and tel our legislative bodies that we want bills passed to require training for all officers
Please join us as we work toward positive change for our families
Dogs are not just animals they are our family members and they deserve better
We deserve better!
https://www.facebook.com/events/1506079356295175/
please go to the link on the top of the page and go to your home page for your state to sign up
Posted by: Renata Simmons | September 17, 2014 at 08:59 AM
unfortunately the so called caring officers being put in a situation to be uncaring are just that uncaring . the gun didnt jump from their holster and start shooting. In one case officers were putting stickers on their lockers each time they killed a pet a competition of sorts. officers will often shoot pets instead of calling out animal control like its a situation that has a time limit on it and the timer is on. Unfortunately you cant teach morality, sympathy, and when an officer is supposed to be taught to de-escalate a situation if a person decides to put forth his constitutional rights. an officer looks at it as non co-operation situation. The situation will escalate. whos tired of these functioning psychopath approaching like you daddy or the morality police. the officers lie, fish to get a bust by getting your ID even if you have done nothing wrong.
Posted by: ken stetler | June 03, 2017 at 05:38 PM