This is available in large print on request

Transcription

1 Request received 14 July 2010: I am making a request for information Kent holds on the amount of incidents in which police dogs have bitten members of. (Information provided from 2009 onwards) I would like to know when and where the incidents occurred, the age and sex of the victim and what, if any, injuries were suffered. Further request received 14 December 2010: Details of the number of people bitten by police dogs since the 1 st July how many were suspected criminals, how many were innocent bystanders, how many were members of police staff? For every incident attended where a dog bite occurs, a dog bite report is completed. The definition of a dog bite for the purposes of completing a dog bite report is, the gripping of a person s body or clothing by the dog s mouth irrespective of injury or damage. There is an expectation that police dogs will protect themselves and their handlers from imminent threat or violence. However, in order to ensure that all elements of safety and control are maintained, a bite test is sometimes conducted involving the following: Emergency recall Standoff Chase and detain Track I have attached an Appendix of dog bite incidents from January 2009 December For information: This has been compiled by reading every dog bite report for the period. To provide this information for previous years, would involve an expenditure of resources that would far exceed the amount that a public authority is required to invest in responding to a request, i.e. the cost of locating and retrieving further past years information would exceed the appropriate level (currently 18 hours) as stated in the Freedom of Information (Fees and Appropriate Limit) Regulations Request received 14 July 2010: I would also like to know whether any damages were paid out to victims of police dog bites and if any legal costs were incurred as a result. Can this include members of Kent staff as well? I would like this information for the last five years please. The table overleaf shows the number of claims made by members of from 2005/6 onwards and any amounts paid in compensation. I can confirm that there have been no claims from Kent employees for dog bites in the past 5 years. Freedom of Information, Kent Headquarters, Sutton Road, Maidstone, Kent ME15 9BZ This is available in large print on request

2 No. of Claims for Dog Bites Outcome of Claim 2005/06 0 N/A 2006/ / /09 1 All claims are dormant and have had no costs or fees 1 claim is still ongoing. 1 claim has been settled - discontinued by the Claimant no compensation paid out. Settlement before proceedings issued paid to Claimant for ripped jacket 2009/10 0 N/A 2010/11* 0 N/A * 1 April July 2010 Could I also have a brief description of the dog unit s purpose, when they are utilised, how many dogs there are and what training they go through. The Kent Dog Unit provides a highly visible presence on the streets of Kent. Kent is a leading Force in the breeding and selection of police dogs to perform patrol duties, public order duties, explosives searching; drug searching, weapon detection, cash detection and firearms support roles. In addition to its operational role, the Unit trains and licenses dog teams across a broad range of skill bases and functions. The performance focus of the Dog Unit is as follows: To deploy a night duty general-purpose dog to each policing area in accordance with published service level agreements To effectively tackle crime, traffic and public order in line with Kent objectives To promote and develop the force breeding programme with a view to becoming self sufficient in dogs To supply specialist dog support for spontaneous incidents and pre-planned operations in line with our service level agreements To assist with the detection and seizure of criminal assets through the deployment of our cash-detection dog resource The Dog Unit will respond to operational scenarios requiring the use of a dog when requested by patrol units, e.g. following a burglary where the offender has left the scene, the Dog Unit would respond to try and track the offender. The Kent Dog Unit currently has 30 General Purpose Dogs. All Kent dog teams have to achieve the standards laid down by the Association of Chief s (ACPO) in the National Dog Assessment Model. This model sets performance criteria and includes assessment of the teams safety, efficiency and control, across all exercises including tracking, searching and criminal work. Organised training and continuation-training courses are available locally. During these sessions, tests of the dogs abilities are set in order to ensure that the dogs perform to the ACPO standards. Kent dogs are also subject to annual assessments and licensing. Kent : PSD FOI Form 3540b rev Jan 2011 [erev 2/11] v1

3 Date of Incident Person Bitten Suspect N/K Male Burglary Abrasions upper and lower front right leg Dover Suspect N/K Male Puncture wound to right thigh, Attempt to assist offender/threats scratches to left leg and abrasion to officer and police dog to left buttock Dover Suspect 16 Female Theft of a Puncture wound on left forearm Swanscombe Suspect 20 Male Theft from a Right arm, right buttock Sittingbourne Suspect 28 Male Theft from a Right arm and leg Sittingbourne Suspect 22 Male Burglary Small puncture wound to left foot Swanscombe Suspect 22 Male Disturbance at premises Right arm and inner leg Dover Suspect 15 Male Criminal damage Bite to fingers on left hand Folkestone Suspect N/K Male Theft Right forearm, right upper arm, right ribcage area on back Dover Suspect 42 Male Theft Hand - scratch Rochester Suspect 17 Female Pursuit of suspect - vehicle not stopping for police Left thigh and inner leg Gravesend Suspect 42 Male Reported theft None - gripped clothing Gravesend Suspect 29 Male Suspected arson Alleged bite Sheerness Suspect N/K Male Stolen vehicle Puncture bite to ankle Gravesend Suspect 20 Male Violent assault Three puncture wounds Ramsgate Suspect 18 Male Suspected burglary Gripped arm Folkestone Pursuing suspect of road traffic 22 Female collision/stolen vehicle Reddening to arm Rochester Pursuing suspect of road traffic 20 Female collision/stolen vehicle Reddening to arm Rochester Suspect 42 Male Pursuit Alleged bite to ankle Sittingbourne Suspect 17 Male Pursuit of Bruising to left leg near calf and right calf puncture wound Gillingham Suspect Approx. Pursuit of suspect, theft from Small puncture wound to right Male 30 ankle Canterbury Suspect 16 Male Burglary Grazes to right hand Chatham Suspect 16 Male Burglary Bite sustained - location unknown Herne Bay

4 Date of Person Incident Bitten Suspect N/K Male Violence Scratch marks to right arm Gillingham Suspect 21 Male Theft of a Left arm Broadstairs Suspect N/K Male Theft of Puncture wound to right arm Folkestone Suspect 42 Male Breaking and entering Lower leg Broadstairs Handler N/K Male Pursuing suspect Bitten on left ear Broadstairs Suspect N/K Male Pursuit of suspect of serious offence Right arm, left upper thigh, buttock area N/K Male Training Bruising to left thigh Mereworth Suspect 39 Female Fight/affray Bite to hand Sittingbourne Suspect 17 Male Attempted theft of Graze to torso - then suspect stated no injury Gillingham Suspect 19 Male Criminal damage Right ankle Gillingham N/K Male Training Right buttock, left arm Canterbury Suspect 16 Male Suspect N/K Male Male Suspect 17 Male Suspect 15 Male Suspect 22 Male Pursuit of suspect - drugs offence/failing to appear at Court During a search for missing person Suspect 19 Male Pursuit of suspect N/K Female Left arm, lower back (puncture and grazing) Iwade Chatham Leg and Side, right arm Ashford Puncture wound to ankle Canterbury Bite to left arm Greenhithe Puncture wound and bruising to upper left thigh Thanet Puncture wound to left leg/ankle Chatham Bite to right outer thigh and left arm Ramsgate Bite to ankle Belgium shepherd Folkestone

5 Date of Person Incident Bitten Suspect N/K Male Theft from a Bite to calf and hip Belgium shepherd Hythe Suspect N/K Male Pursuit of violent prisoner Bite to chest Sittingbourne Suspect 19 Male Attempt to assist offender Left ankle Mallinois Dartford Female Pursuit of suspect of burglary/theft of a Alleged bite to right arm Maidstone Suspect 17 Male Pursuit of suspect of burglary Bite marks to upper right thigh and right side of back Ramsgate Suspect 51 Male Bite to lower forearm Sittingbourne Suspect N/K Male Bite to thigh Rochester Suspect 27 Male Bite to right arm Gillingham Red mark and a bruising to left N/K Male Suspected burglary in progress arm Gravesend Suspect 21 Male Puncture wound to top right of back and scratch marks Swanley Suspect 15 Male Pursuing suspect of burglary Bite to top of right arm above tricep Elvington Suspect 23 Male Domestic incident Bite to left ankle Faversham Suspect 17 Male Suspected burglary and attempted theft of Bite to right arm Bearsted Suspect 21 Male Suspected burglary in progress Bite to right side and right leg near ankle Belgium shepherd Margate Suspect 18 Male Trespass/suspected theft Bite to left leg Sittingbourne