NCJ Number
219424
Date Published
October 1995
Length
19 pages
Annotation
These guidelines, which were developed by the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST), are for voluntary use by California law enforcement agencies in assuring minimum levels of performance by K-9 teams.
Abstract
The K-9 team guidelines for performance pertain to obedience, searching indoors and outdoors for a hidden person, pursuit and apprehension of a person acting as a suspect, and defense of the handler who is being physically attacked by a suspect. Guidelines for the selection of a K-9 handler list the desirable characteristics and qualifications for an effective K-9 handler. Minimum requirements are also specified for a K-9 evaluator. Separate guidelines are presented for a narcotics-detection K-9 team in the domains of a building search, vehicle search, and an outside area search for narcotics. Scenarios for K-9 team testing cover obedience in responding to handler commands, search for a suspect, apprehension of a suspect with and without contact, protection of a handler who is under physical attack, and narcotics detection. Another section of this guide outlines the objectives and features of a K-9 team evaluators' course. Its objectives are to train students in how to evaluate a K-9 team's performance under POST guidelines, how to interpret and apply the standards contained in the POST guidelines, and demonstrate evaluator skills in a final test. Appended forms for K-9 team evaluations