Police Dogs as Less Lethal Weapons: A Quantitative Analysis of

Effectiveness and OutcomesCharles Mesloh PhD

Director: Weapons & Research InstituteKomaal Collie BA

Program Manager: Weapons & Equipment Research Institute Florida Gulf Coast University

Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences 2009

Grant Project Driving this Research

Funded by National Institute of JusticeGrant # 2005-IJ-CX-K050Under Less Lethal Weapons Technologies solicitation

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the Department of Justice, the National Institute of Justice or any other government agency.

Project OverviewApproximately 5000 cases (4303) after removing incomplete cases (missing reports)Data captured from Use of Force reports and Offense reportsLess Lethal Weapon Effectiveness, Use of Force, and Suspect and Officer Injuries: A Five Year Study

Today’s presentation based upon 301 cases where police canines were used as force against suspects

Review of the LiteratureDespite the prevalence of canine use within the U.S. (15,000 teams), very few peer-reviewed studies relating to police dogs could be identified.Of those, only three studies were directly related to police dog use of force.

Effectiveness Ranking

Police canines were consistently one of the most effective tools for bringing suspects under controlOutperformed TASER in each iteration

Less Lethal EffectivenessIteration 1 Iteration 2 Iteration 3

Chemical agent 329 (64%) 211 (72%) 108

TASER 1460 (69%) 536 (67%) 270

Compliance hold 64 (16%) 81 (63%) 35

Takedown 215 (41%) 166 (62%) 64

Empty hand strike 26 (28%) 63 (61%) 47

Impact weapon 32 (45%) 41 (51%) 43

Pepperball 4 (57%) 2 (67%) 0

12 gauge beanbag 2 (29%) 1 (50%) 2

K9 209 (69%) 74 (71%) 32

Deployments

Across a wide range of chargesLarge number related to burglary and grand theftPrimary resistance type is flight (n=157) or concealment (n=130)

Charge Types

Type of Charge

87 28.9

13 4.3

179 59.5

3 1.0

1 .3

18 6.0

301 100.0

Felony Violent

Felony Drug

Felony Property

Misdemeanor Violent

Misdemeanor Drug

Misdemeanor Property

Total

Valid

Frequency Percent

Used Instead of Deadly Force

8 blunt objects13 edged weapons18 firearms5 vehicle extractions

Use of Force with Police Dogs

German shepherds have a bite force of 1500 p.s.i.Potential for serious injuryRange of injuries from punctures to rips and crush damageOne confirmed fatality

Injuries

86% were punctures5% lacerations8% bruise /abrasionOne broken bone from suspect falling

Injury Increase over Time

Suspect Injured * Number of Levels Crosstabulation

Count

60 12 2 74

149 61 17 227

209 73 19 301

No

Yes

SuspectInjured

Total

One Level Two Levels Three Levels

Number of Levels

Total

Balancing Act

Properly managed, K9 team can still be most cost effective tool in arsenal.Balance benefits and risks

BenefitsHigh level of deterrence (anecdotal)High level of effectivenessNo countermeasuresMulti-functionLowest officer injury rate 1%Potential good P.R.Can generate funding

Risks

CostTrainingHigh level of suspect injury (30%)1983 claim possibilityPotential for nightmarish P.R.

Limitations

Only reviewed cases where force was usedThreatened use of force and immediate compliance not captured

Future Research

Deterrence StudyForensic Bite Analysis

Questions/Comments

Dr. Charles Mesloh

Director, Weapons & Equipment Research Institute

Florida Gulf Coast University

cmesloh@fgcu.edu239-590-7761 (office)