Several American states have already increased, or in any case are considering increasing the severity of the penalties for those guilty of violence against these animals. This is the case, for example, in Kansas in the middle of the country.
In Kansas, killing a police dog can already cost you a year in jail and a $5,000 fine. But the local Republican-majority House of Representatives voted 107 to 4 to toughen those penalties to 5 years in prison for a first offense and a $10,000 fine, including if you attack a police horse.
The text of the law must still be confirmed by the Senate. Lawmakers are calling it “Bane’s Law,” in reference to Bane, the eight-year-old Wichita sheriff’s dog who was strangled by a domestic violence suspect in November. In Missouri, the penalty would increase from 4 to 7 years in prison. South Carolina, West Virginia and Hawaii are also considering increased penalties. Florida already did this in 2019 by going from a maximum of 5 to 15 years in prison.
An approach that transcends partisan divisions
In Hawaii, both the House and Senate are majority Democratic. Ditto in Colorado, where a similar bill passed the House on a 52-12 vote. The legislation already provides for a six-year prison sentence, but on top of that a $2,000 fine and the payment of all animals. related expenses – veterinary care, funeral. It is estimated that training and caring for a police dog can cost up to $18,000.
There are approximately 50,000 police dogs nationwide and more than 200,000 police officers who work with these animals. Please note that this type of incident does not happen every day. In Colorado, seven police officers have reportedly been convicted of animal cruelty in the past three years. By comparison, in Rochester, New York, officers killed 22 dogs during operations between 2015 and 2022.
However, we also heard a form of resistance. So obviously no one is saying you should hurt a police dog. But in Kansas, a Republican elected official believes those discussions are a waste of time. For him, his colleagues should first work on a law banning abortion.
But above all, black voters recalled that the police historically used dogs disproportionately against minorities, for example during civil rights demonstrations. Less than a year ago in Ohio, a black truck driver was attacked, albeit on his knees and hands in the air. He had to be hospitalized. In such cases, elected officials ask, can we really blame someone for fighting back when attacked by an animal? Furthermore, the laws do not stipulate anything if a passerby is accidentally bitten. And if the victim goes to trial, the chances of losing are high because juries generally love police dogs.