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ATHERTON POLICE DEPARTMENT
Inter-Department Correspondence
To: Commander Daniel Larsen Date: February 10, 2024
From: Sergeant Krystal Pronske
Subject: K9 Audit, 2023
Audit Purpose: The purpose of the audit was to measure the Atherton Police Department Police Service Animal (K9) Unit's compliance with Lexipol Policy 315-Police Service Animals, the K9 unit's compliance with Pack Track training records, recommended minimum training hours per United States Police Canine Association (USPCA) / the North American Police Work Dog Association (NAPWDA) / the National Police Canine Association (NPCA). This year there will not be a budget compliance portion.
Audit Scope: The audit included a review of Policy 315 and K9 teams' hours trained using the PackTrack database.
Audit Methodology: The methodology for the audit was a review of all previously mentioned data for the 2023 calendar year.
Audit Results: Our K9 team(s) were not meeting the industry standard recommended training hours, or Policy 315. Policy 315 and the United States Police Canine Association (USPCA) / the North American Police Work Dog Association (NAPWDA) / the National Police Canine Association (NPCA) recommend K9 teams train for a minimum of 16 hours per month, 4 hours per week, for a total of 192 hours per year to prevent the dog's responsiveness to their handler from deteriorating and causing potential liability to both the Atherton Police Department and the Town of Atherton. During this review, our training hours were at
81.25% meeting the standard, whereas the previous year we were at 77.083%. This is most likely due to other training, vacations, or scheduling conflicts.
Our K9 unit currently consists of one team, Officer Romero and K9 "Jessie," who was consistent with inputting training hours into PackTrack. The hourly breakdown of training hours for our K9 team during the year of 2023 are as follows (per PackTrack database):
• Romero/"Jessie" - 156 hours
The K9 team equipment is not following Policy 315, as there is currently only one bite suit which is a size large. The following items are not present - medium-sized bite suit, hand protectors (2 sets), boots (foot protection), 100' leash (long line), scratch pants, undercover sleeves (including neoprene gauntlets), protective helmets (2) for agitators (football-style with face shield), ski vests (2) for agitators (rib protectors for muzzle work), "Police Service Animal Training" signs (2 minimally), hurdles, red guns (four).
Audit Action Items: I recommend the authorization of purchasing the following K9 unit team training equipment: "Police Service Animal Training" signs (2 minimally) and red guns (two minimally), and to continue to monitor the K9 unit to maintain compliance with Policy 315. Since we now have a POST- certified agitator, I further recommend purchasing hand protectors (2 sets), boots (foot protection), scratch pants, undercover sleeves (including neoprene gauntlets), protective helmets (2) for agitators (football-style with face shield), and ski vests (2) for agitators (rib protectors for muzzle work). These items are at times provided by vendors but not always and not always available for department agitators. I also suggest removing the following items from Policy 315 when it comes to PD K9 equipment - 100' leash (long line) and hurdles. K9 handlers should have long lines already in their K9 equipment.
IN REVIEW OF THIS AUDIT, SOT PRONSKE STATES THE DEPARTMENT IS OUT OF COMPLIANCE WIT ROCOMMENDED TRAING HOURS OF 4
HOURS PER WEEK, THIS DED NOT CONSIDER TRAINING HOURS LOST DUE TO TIMEOFF OR SCHEDULENG CONFLICTS: I BELIEVE THE
TRAFNENG TIME SPENT IS ADEQUATE,
THE ITEMS LISTED ARU EITHER ALREADY AT HE PD (TRATMENG SIGNS SET PROMSRE LISTED MULTIPLE ITEMS NOUDED FOR TRAINENG:
→ RED GUMS) OR PROVEDED BY THE TRATHING VENDOR FOR AGITATOR USE (HAMI PROTELTORS, BOOTS, SURATON PANTS, UNDERCOVOR SLEEVE?, HELMET, + SFI VEST).
Februsy 77.2034
with related hick nisk