Lord of Houghton of Sowerbyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the present role of police dogs in crime detection and crowd control; what breed are they; whether police dogs are trained to attack or to hold law breakers or suspects; whether police dogs in public places are kept on the leash by the handlers and, if not, in what circumstances they may be released to disperse or on targeted individuals; and what is the liability of the police for any injuries inflicted by police dogs being used for lawful purposes in a public place.
Earl FerrersPolice dogs are used for the location of drugs and explosives, the tracking of fugitives, lost and missing persons and, less frequently, for crowd control.
There are 2,201 police dogs in the United Kingdom of which 1,736 are Alsations, 211 are Golden Labradors, 202 are Springer spaniels and there are 52 others. Police dogs are not trained to attack but are trained to prevent the escape of a clearly identified individual.
The liability of the police for any injuries which are inflicted by police dogs in a public place would depend on the circumstances of the case. Generally, the police, like other keepers of dogs, will be liable for injuries which are caused by them in the event of negligence.