Police Dogs to....

...head butt criminals... did anyone read this.....they'll be taking away their truncheons next..


Police dogs are being muzzled to stop them biting and injuring suspected criminals, it emerged yesterday.

The policy, devised by North Wales Police, comes as a result of increased compensation claims from members of the public who have been bitten by police dogs.

Officers say the toothless tactic provides a safer way to tackle unco-operative offenders, and it may soon be adopted by dog squads across the country.

But critics say it is another example of political correctness gone mad - putting the rights and safety of criminals before cutting crime and protecting the public.

Rather than biting suspects, the dogs have instead been trained to disable their targets by leaping at them and delivering a flying 'head-butt'.

The tough Belgian Malinois breed - similar to an Alsatian - is favoured by the North Wales force, which is headed by controversial chief Richard Brunstrom. To protect the animals, a metal rod across the front of the muzzle helps absorb the impact of the strike.

'Instead of biting, the dog is muzzled and launches itself like a missile at the midriff of the target,' said Deputy Chief Constable of North Wales, Clive Wolfendale.

'It is one of the additional options open to us to muzzle our dogs and get them to use a head butt,' said Sgt Ian Massie. 'We believe it is a safer option for an offender to be head-butted.'

But retired dog handler John Barrett, who served for 18 years with the Metropolitan Police, is critical of the new tactic.

'This sounds like political correctness. It is very strange - I think the public would laugh at you with a muzzled dog, and it could be counterproductive if people think the dog has to be muzzled because it is dangerous.'

The officer that pioneered the technique, Sgt Gareth Crowe, says the flying head charge is the equivalent of a baton blow if the dog has a full run-up.

The technique has been deemed so successful that muzzled dogs are also being used for crowd control at football games.

'Sometimes people think a dog can't do anything because it is muzzled, and they are caught out be the power and speed of the tactic,' said Sgt Crowe.

'For me, it is a high-level use of force to physically bite a person. We've now got a continuum of force that gives us another tactical option to deploy the dog.

'The 'conflict management model' of policing says that any force must be reasonable under the circumstances. It is clearly to gain control, prevent injury to the officer or others, and prevent damage to property.'

North Wales Police Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom earlier this year faced criticism from within his own ranks for plans to award his officers points for making arrests or handing out fines.

Under the scheme, they could receive twice as many for seizing an abandoned car as for making an arrest.

Mr Brunstrom, the Government's adviser on road safety and speed cameras, has earned himself the nickname the 'Mad Mullah of the Traffic Taliban'.

In 2003, he called for the number of cameras to be trebled and the following year admitted getting officers to 'hide behind road signs and walls' with handheld devices.

His force has also been criticised for its appalling burglary clear-up rate and for launching costly inquiries into alleged anti-Welsh comments by Tony Blair and Anne Robinson.

Ah Bless why should that thug that just mugged a Old Lady get bitten by a nasty police Dog this country is a Bl**dy Joke.

I think I should become a criminal seems they have more right than the law abiding public


God I'm really starting to Hate living in this country can anyone recommend a country that has some sense

I symapthize with anyone who was bitten who was innocent (some dogs have been known to get hold of bystanders when over-zealous, I was saw it on a documentary ) However, any criminal having been bitten isn't it just the dangers of the 'job 'they do? Tough luck I say, if they are hurt so what it is there own fault.

I think this idea of head-butting is ludicrous - and as for it being safer, well that is debatable as if they break someones nose the wrong way it could shoot upwards and kill the person. I'd rather be bitten on the arm!

You have GOT to be kidding... Come on, isn't that the whole point of police dogs? Protecting the public from criminals? Seems like we're looking out for the criminal's safety more then the law abiding citizen's...

Tackle!

WHAT this is a joke right, how stupid, how long before they stop them doing that, one or two people suing because the dog head butted them a bit to low and now they can't have kids, then they're going to change their minds again, maybe they should teach the dogs to just sit in front the criminals and beg

They'd have to change the german sheps to beagles... They have the beautiful down eye technique done very well indeed. Hey, I'd stop to pet one.

Are they serious?!

I thought the idea of bringing an offender down by biting their arm is so that they can hang onto them until their handler and other officers get there?

By headbutting them, they're bringing them down but then have no way of keeping them there!

A local dog walker around here was brought down by a police dog who wouldn't let go when instructed (the guy was just out walking his dog) so I do understand the need to prevent that, but headbutting?! Come on!

Someone please tell me it was an April Fools piece originally
Heck, why not go the whole hog and just train police dogs to sit politely in front of a criminal then offer a paw for them to shake !
Good grief

You could consider anywhere in the Eastern part of the European Union where such tactics as this would just be laughed at. There's much that I could criticize about this part of Europe but I wouldn't advise anyone with criminal intent to come here.

I think this is another area where they seem to think we should crimanals with respect. Never mind the poor old lady that has just been beaten and mugged, or the people who have been burgled. I don't think a criminal would worry in the least if he was headbutted but would be more worried if they thought the dog was going to bite them. If they do the crime they should do the time and that should mean they may get bitten in the process. They will be saying next that the police have to go on duty with feather dusters to stop the criminals in case they get hurt with their sticks.