A report on the deployment of police dogs
- Recommendations
- 2
- Published responses
- 2
- Report length
- 31 pages
Summary
The report's own summary: Summary, pages 24 to 28
Generated summary: written by an AI model from the report text and checked against the cited pages.
The Corruption and Crime Commission reviewed misconduct risks in police dog deployment following a parliamentary committee recommendation to audit dog bite incidents.
The review examined training, force reporting, misconduct notifications and a sample of deployments, including available body camera recordings.
The Commission identified missing operational policies and weaknesses in independent review, despite improvements in training and accountability.
A report on the deployment of police dogs.pdf, page 5 · A report on the deployment of police dogs.pdf, page 26
The Commission identified higher deployment rates against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people but did not establish the systemic reasons for this.
A report on the deployment of police dogs.pdf, page 5 · A report on the deployment of police dogs.pdf, page 6
The Commission made two recommendations to establish canine policies and analyse the reasons for the higher representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
In the body's own words
- Finding
The Commission identified a gap in the policies and procedures specific to the use of police dogs.
- Finding
The Commission's review identified multiple occasions on which WA Police failed to detect the improper use of a police dog.
Findings, opinions and statements
Allegations are not findings. A commission's finding or opinion of corrupt conduct or misconduct is not a finding that a person is guilty of a criminal offence, and the commissions say so in their reports.
No findings are reproduced in this record. This does not establish that the report contains none.
Recommendations 2
Recommendation
Develop and implement WA Police Canine Unit Policy, Procedure and/or Guidelines.
Recommendation
Undertake further analysis of police dog use to explore and address reasons for the higher representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons in police dog deployments.
Published responses 2
WA Police response to this recommendation
In January 2022, WA Police Force's EM & SS Division commenced an assessment of Canine Unit's operations. The assessments include: • Developing formal Canine Unit Standard Operating Procedures and Guidelines; and • Reviewing all WA Police Force policies related to Canine Unit operations, updating and cross referencing accordingly.
WA Police response to this recommendation
WA Police Force will review the higher representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons involved in police dog deployments, noting it is likely tis may correlate with: • The over representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the criminal justice system; and • The higher proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in regional WA, where over fifty per cent of reviewed incidents occurred.
Official documents 2
A report on the deployment of police dogs.pdf
Document details
- Role
- Report
MEDIA RELEASE - A report on the deployment of police dogs.pdf
Document details
- Status
- Linked
- Role
- Media release
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