The Authority oversaw a Police investigation into an incident involving deployment of a Police dog. Supervisors reviewed the dog handler's mandatory reporting post-incident and became concerned the use of the dog was unjustified.
The Police investigation found the dog handler had been called to assist officers to locate a person suspected of an attempted burglary. The dog handler used their Police dog to track the suspect to a nearby house with a standalone garage and attached sleepout. The owners of the house told Police no one else should be on their property.
The dog handler entered the sleepout and saw a person lying on a bed covered by a thick blanket. The dog handler instructed the person to show their hands and stop moving, however the suspect ignored these instructions and reached for a bag on the bed. The dog handler said they feared for their safety, and suspected the bag could contain a dangerous item, so deployed the Police dog to safely apprehend the suspect.
Police were satisfied the deployment of a Police dog was justified in the circumstances, however, concluded the initial reporting completed by the dog handler lacked important information. Police conducted an employment process to address the dog handler's unsatisfactory reporting.
The Authority is satisfied with how Police dealt with this matter and agrees with the outcome they reached.
IPCA: 24-24325