53
Police dogs, Ústí nad Labem, the Czech Republic, 1 May 2014, ©ODIHR
Studies have shown that police dogs tend to bite multiple times, often in the head,
neck, upper arms and chest.72 Being attacked by a police dog can be particularly
traumatic and can leave lifelong physical and mental scars. Studies have found that
the use of dogs against suspects greatly increased the risk of injury compared with
other use of force methods.73
The ODIHR Human Rights Handbook on Policing Assemblies states that the use
of dogs can be perceived as intimidating, provocative or offensive, and notes that
dogs cannot discriminate between those who are breaking the law and those who
are not.74 According to the handbook, dogs are not suitable for the policing of
72
73
74
Meade, P. C., “Police and Domestic Dog Bite Injuries: What Are the differences? What Are the Implications about Police Dog Use?”, Injury Extra, Vol. 37, No. 11, November 2006, pp. 395–401.
United States Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, Police Use of Force, Tasers and Other
Less-Lethal Weapons, Research in Brief, 2011, p. 7, <https://w w w.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/232215.
pdf>.
ODIHR, Human Rights Handbook on Policing Assemblies, op. cit., note 2, p. 72.
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