Bill To Restrict Police Canines Defeated

Sacramento, CA — California lawmakers had been debating a proposal that would have banned police canines from assisting in arrests and crowd control.

Two months ago, the proposed bill passed in the Public Safety Committee on a party-line vote, 6-2, with Democrats in favor and Republicans opposed. It was backed by groups like the NAACP and ACLU who argued that 2/3 of the time police dogs are used is against suspects who are Black or Latino.

Groups like the Western States Police Canine Association came out against the bill, arguing that police dogs are a valuable non-lethal resource. Opponents also argued that eliminating canines from crucial law enforcement roles could lead to more officer-involved shootings.

The bill was pulled yesterday by the author, Democratic Assemblymember Corey Jackson after it became clear there were not enough votes to pass it this legislative session.