CONTROLS OVER DOG UNIT TIGHTENED

Pr. George's Police Chief Orders Procedural Reform

Prince George's County Police Chief John S. Farrell says he has tightened
controls over the canine unit, requiring immediate reviews when police dogs
bite people, increasing supervision of their use and
dispatching top officers to study how Los Angeles police dramatically
reduced the number of people bitten by their dogs.

It was Farrell's first public response since The Washington Post reported on
April 4 that the department's 23-officer canine unit was facing at least 13
lawsuits contending that use of excessive force by dog handlers had resulted
in serious injury from dog bites.

"Am I concerned about the allegations? Absolutely," Farrell said. "If we
have officer misconduct, we want to get at it. We're looking at the entire
[canine] program."

The FBI also is reviewing allegations of excessive force by the canine unit.

Farrell said he has ordered that all dog-bite incidents be reviewed with 72
hours by a team of police supervisors, who will produce a written report.
Canine handlers now will be required to consult with a supervisor before
unleashing dogs to search for criminal suspects in buildings, a practice
which resulted in maulings that led to lawsuits.

Farrell also said he will send several of his commanders to Los Angeles this
month to "see if that system makes sense for us. If it does, we'll consider it."

The number of people bitten by police dogs in Los Angeles dropped
dramatically in the early 1990s after the Los Angeles sheriff's department
and the Los Angeles police department changed training techniques after
paying out millions of dollars to settle lawsuits brought by bite victims.

Both departments switched from the "bite and hold" approach, in which dogs
are trained to stop suspects by biting them, to the "bark and hold" method,
in which canines are taught to keep unresisting suspects at bay by barking
loudly until an officer arrives.

Like the majority of law enforcement agencies with canine units, the Prince
George's police dogs are taught to stop suspects by biting them, in
accordance with techniques endorsed by the U.S. Police Canine Association.

In addition to the 13 pending lawsuits, county attorneys have settled four
other suits for tens of thousands of dollars and lost a fifth at trial. In
10 of the 18 lawsuits, victims contend they were attacked by dogs even
though they were not resisting arrest, had been subdued on the ground or
were handcuffed.

Some of the bite victims sustained gaping wounds with permanent scars and
nerve damage. Some of them were not charged with crimes, had charges dropped
or were subsequently acquitted.

Unlike other police departments, the Prince George's department has not kept
detailed records on police dog bite incidents. The department does not
require photographs of bite injuries or detailed listings of the wounds, and
it keeps incident reports for only 30 days, officials said.

Farrell said the new review procedure would produce a complete written record.

Maj. William A. Richards, commander of the special operations division the
canine unit is part of, will head the reviews, Farrell said. The lieutenant
in charge of the canine unit, the supervisor of the officer who handled the
dog, and the officer will go over every aspect of each "seizure" in which a
suspect is apprehended by a biting canine.

"This is not meant to be an inquisition," Farrell said. "It is meant to be a
management review."

But, if warranted, referrals will be made to the internal affairs
investigators, Farrell said.

The chief has made reducing excessive force by his officers a priority since
he was appointed in September 1995. Shootings by county police and
complaints of unwarranted beatings have declined dramatically during
Farrell's tenure.

Only three formal complaints of excessive force by canine officers were
lodged with the department in 1997 and 1998. The chief acknowledged some
people may not have confidence in the department's ability to police itself.

"I want to encourage people who have complaints of excessive force to feel
they have been victims of excessive force to come forward," Farrell said.

Terrell N. Roberts III, a Riverdale lawyer representing four people who are
suing the deparment for dog bites, noted that 18 complaints of excessive
force have been filed against canine officers this decade.

"I'm sure Farrell is well-meaning, but you have to look at the facts,"
Roberts said.