Florida Senate - 2022                                    SB 1882
       
       
        
       By Senator Powell
       
       
       
       
       
       30-00929-22                                           20221882__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to use of police canines; creating s.
    3         943.17175, F.S.; prohibiting police canines from being
    4         used to bite suspects during arrest or apprehension;
    5         requiring that law enforcement agencies that use
    6         police canines adopt specified policies; providing
    7         requirements for the use of police canines in
    8         apprehending suspects; requiring the Department of Law
    9         Enforcement to maintain specified data concerning the
   10         use of police canines and to make such data available
   11         in a format meeting specified requirements; providing
   12         an effective date.
   13          
   14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   15  
   16         Section 1. Section 943.17175, Florida Statutes, is created
   17  to read:
   18         943.17175 Use of police canines.—
   19         (1) A law enforcement officer may not use a police canine
   20  for the purpose of biting a suspect during the arrest or
   21  apprehension of an individual.
   22         (2) Law enforcement agencies that use police canines shall
   23  establish policies that require canines only be used to find and
   24  bark or circle and bark at a suspect rather than to bite an
   25  individual.
   26         (3) A law enforcement officer must attempt to defuse the
   27  situation, during the course of apprehending a suspect, first
   28  and employ recognized de-escalation techniques before involving
   29  a police canine. The use of a police canine must be
   30  proportionate to the threat presented by the individual.
   31         (4) The department shall maintain data on the use of
   32  canines for suspect apprehensions and any canine bites and
   33  injuries caused to individuals by the canines. The department
   34  shall make such data readily available to the public in an
   35  easily accessible format.
   36         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.