Critical issues in criminal justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Critical issues in criminal justice - Essay Example The police-dogs are considered as complete or full-fledged police officer. Assaulting them is therefore punishable by the federal laws. Initially protected by the state laws, the police dogs are now protected by federal laws with individuals found guilty of assaulting the law enforcing animals standing the risk of serving ten years in prison or paying a fine of at least $1 000. This paper will address the topic by discussing the various legal and social issues surrounding the use of the canines in law enforcement. It is important to note that the police dogs being relied on to establish links in various crimes such as searching of cadavers, explosives, drugs etc., need to be protected by the law due to the sensitivity of the areas they are involved. For instance, in a case where a police dog injures a civilian in the course of duty, the police department from which it serves are held liable. In the same way, if an individual is found to have assaulted the police dog popularly known as K-9 a homophone of canine in the United States, they are made to stand trial and risk a possible conviction for the felony. This paper will therefore look at the federal laws and how different states protect and set laws in line with the use of the canines in law enforcement. A police dog just like any other personnel in the law enforcement sector has various responsibilities and rights that define the scope of their work. However, in the use of police dogs, there is no set or standardized set of laws that define how the dogs should be used. For instance, in trying to hunt down a suspect and presentation in court to assist in investigations or stand trial, the use of police dogs and the force applied may only be justified by the immediate behavior of the suspect such as resistance to arrest or the severity of the crime. The use of canine force is not always justified. In some cases, the police can