Police consider alternatives to shooting dogs

Sioux Falls Police officers might see new training videos showing up in their inboxes following a pair of recent incidents involving unruly dogs.

It’s rare for police officers to fire their weapon at an animal — usually just a couple of times a year, according to Sioux Falls Animal Control Officer Missy John — but there have been two such incidents in the past two weeks.

That prompted the National Canine Research Council to offer a set of five free training videos created after a manual its staff co-authored with the U.S. Department of Justice became a popular download.

The videos are now used by 24 departments across the country, and Sioux Falls Police will consider reviewing them.

“It’s always encouraged to better yourself as an employee,” Sgt. Paul Creviston said. “I think it would be good to send (the videos) out to our officers.”

The videos highlight strategies from grabbing a trash can lid to use as a shield to using pepper spray or stun guns.

“There are a lot of physical alternatives short of lethal force that can prevent an injury,” said Janis Bradley, a spokesperson for the canine research group.

Sioux Falls police officers do not receive specific training on dealing with vicious dogs, Creviston said. Instead, they rely on Animal Control officers to share their expertise.

“We learn how to not escalate (the situation) and how to get the animal captured with our safety, the public’s safety and the animal’s safety,” John said.

Since August 2014, Animal Control has responded to 189 calls for animal bites or attacks, an increase of 19 from the year before.

Animal Control officers have methods like catch poles, a rigid metal leash, to handle the animals without lethal force.

But most of the time, police get there first.

“Police officers don’t have catch poles,” John said. “They don’t have a lot of animal-oriented equipment. So if they’re the first ones on scene, they have to respond in a way that prevents danger to themselves and to the public. Unfortunately that sometimes involves a firearm.”

Local police instructors are looking at training officers to use stun guns on animals, but Creviston said the concern is that after being stunned the dog would run away, causing a danger to other areas.

“Honestly, I don’t know how things could have been different,” Creviston said of the two recent shootings.

Public safety is always the main goal, Creviston said.

“Nobody wants to hurt an animal,” he said. “But if it’s attacking its owner or somebody on the street, obviously we want to make sure that it is stopped.”