Apparently, even police dogs are racist.
In California, a new bill is being considered in the state legislature which would bar law enforcement agencies from employing K-9s in scenarios where they could potentially bite a person. This initiative, according to one of its authors, is intended to put an end to a "deeply racialized and harmful practice."
At a Monday news conference, Corey Jackson and Ash Kalra, two assembly members, claimed that AB 742 could be a way to bring an end to an unsettling practice with ties to African American neighborhoods and police canines.
The legislation would forbid law enforcement from employing police dogs in the apprehension of suspects, making arrests and managing crowds, as stated in the bill.
Jackson declared in a statement "The use of police canines has inflicted brutal violence and lifelong trauma on Black Americans and communities of color. This bill marks a turning point in the fight to end this cruel and inhumane practice and build trust between the police and the communities they serve."
Canines could still be employed to detect explosives, narcotics, and other matters that don't require contact.
Jackson stated that "Were trying to make sure people are not harmed and seriously injured by using K9s. Many of these bites can cause lifelong injuries. So lets make this clear, lifelong injuries before youre proven guilty."
At the press conference for the bill's unveiling, Kalra indicated that the utilization of police dogs is an action "rooted in slavery."
Throughout our nation's history, from the civil rights movement to the present day, in Black and brown areas, we can observe a chance to bring humanity back to the criminal justice system, he stated.
Those in favor of the bill noted the damaging effects of minor offenses on people. Certain professionals in the field of police canine instruction and strategy trust that the proposed law could have major repercussions.
Throughout the years, police dogs have aided in the work of soldiers, law enforcement officers, and other emergency personnel.
Bob Eden, a former police K9 handler from Canada who provides training and advice to police forces across North America, told Fox San Francisco that "A lot of times we're dealing with violent people that won't submit otherwise or wouldn't be captured otherwise."
He explained that police canines tend to defuse scenarios before they have to be deployed. Moreover, he noted that "the number of dogs that are on the street reduce the number of assaults on officers and the number of officer-involved shootings, which ultimately would also probably save the life of a number of suspects that otherwise would have been on the receiving end of gunfire."
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