Police K9s serve a vital role at the departments in which they serve across the U.S. In addition to being used to detect illicit and dangerous substances and in search-and-rescue operations, law enforcement K9s are also used in the apprehension of suspects.

At one Michigan police department, that is about to change.

A change in policy

In a new development, the Saginaw Police Department, in Michigan, is changing its policy regarding the use of police K9s. The K9s will no longer be used in the apprehension of suspects. Whether or not this change in policy is permanent has not yet been decided.

“I’m going to do something that I promised years ago that I would do. I am going to listen,” Saginaw Police Chief Bob Ruth said at a rally.

The rally was being held as a part of the protests currently happening all across the U.S. and around the world in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The location where the rally was held is the same spot where Milton Hall, a mentally ill man brandishing a knife, had been shot by police in 2012.

The county prosecutor at the time of the shooting ruled that the police had been within their rights to shoot the knife-wielding Hall and that no charges would be filed against them. Hall’s death did lead to changes in the department when it came to the use of force with mentally ill people.

The George Floyd protests

The newest rule change has been implemented amid the current protests and states that the department’s five K9 units can only be used for community outreach, search and rescue, and narcotic and bomb searches.

The new restriction comes about in the wake of another suspect shooting by Saginaw police in February 2020, which took place after the suspect stabbed a police K9 in the head. The officers involved in that shooting were cleared of any wrongdoing as well.

The Saginaw Valley K-9 Association

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The Saginaw Valley K-9 Association had no comment on the new policy. The association covers the expenses of the Saginaw Police Department’s K-9s through fundraising efforts. In addition to its fundraising, the organization also seeks to promote education about and the safety of the K9s used in law enforcement.

Along with funding for the purchase of K9 units for the Saginaw Police Department, their training, and other items associated with their day-to-day operations, the organization also provides funding to care for the K9s after retirement. This includes paying for any associated medical costs, dog food, and burial expenses. For more on the organization, check out its Facebook page.

The move by the department, and Chief Ruth, in particular, is being done to make the citizens that the department serves feel safer.

H/T: ABC 12 News