Dear Editor:
Media stories reporting the new B.C. provincial rules for the deployment of police dogs point out that New Westminster and Saanich have the lowest rate of injuries – essentially none – during takedown of suspects, while Vancouver and Abbotsford have the highest.
This isn’t because we lack crime in New Westminster. Instead, it’s owing to the good sense and progressive approach of our police department. They decided long ago to adopt the “bark and hold” training method, rather than the “bite and hold” method favoured by the RCMP and most municipal police departments in B.C.
New Westminster dogs are trained and handled to bark first, and bite only when necessary. “Bite and hold” means the dog is trained to find and bite the suspect every time. This causes many needless and sometimes serious injuries, as detailed in the comprehensive report on this subject issued by the Pivot Legal Society.
The good example set by our city and our police department has probably contributed to the province’s decision to impose rules on the use of dogs by other police departments.
We can be proud of this, and thankful that we have our own, independent police department in the city, rather than the RCMP, or some sort of regional force dominated by Vancouver.
Richard Berrow, New Westminster
