Solidarity - Police and K9 Companions

Essay from the year 2009 in the subject Sociology - Law, Delinquency, Abnormal Behavior, grade: A, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, course: Introduction to Policing, language: English, abstract: Technology has made incredible strides in the 21st century and has aided in the prevention, apprehension, and conviction of many offenders. However, these expensive resources require specially trained personnel to operate in an already, often understaffed, police force (Griffiths, 2008, p. 98). Although, policing techniques have adapted to the ever changing nature of crime, offenders have adopted new ways of concealing their misconduct. How should law enforcement agencies respond to this? Do laws need to be stricter? Do police need more funding? Currently, the answer is not in the future, but in the past. Man and beast once fought in a constant struggle for dominance. Once an enemy, now a companion, the trained dog has proven to be an effective resource for police departments (Mesloh, 2000). This paper will briefly explore the beneficial traits of police dogs and determine if expanding their use will aid in effective policing. First, what types of skills do police dogs have? What training can they undertake? Second, how can their use benefit police departments and society? Third, what are the costs associated with training and maintenance? How can dogs save money?