K9 dies in hot car.

[texanjoker]

In both cases there is no mention of the safety devices they make to prevent this. Sure they are expensive but well worth the $$$$$$$$$. In this latest story I doubt there was any safety device and when you go home you take care of your dog! For my dogs that meant feeding them as that was their time. I am interested in how long he worked that 24 hour period to include off duty employment. In the case I posted where the person I knew that was prosecuted in a case like this he had worked overtime in addition to the normal 10 hour day. I am not making an excuse, but at some point one needs off time to prevent tragedy's like this and to keep from making a bad decision. That should include policy with a restriction on total hours in a normal day - barring an emergency event.

[mojo84]

Texanjoker, do you think the chief would have punished the officer if he had done the proper thing? Since the chief said he left the dog in the car with the windows up, was in the station longer than he expected, the dog suffered heat stroke, then died and the officer was punished, I don't suspect the officer did what he should have done nor what you want to give him the benefit of the doubt of doing.

Logic has to apply sometimes in spite of the brotherly bond you officers share. Also, when a mere citizen criminal is being roasted on here, why not come to their defence and claim here we go again with the mere citizen subject bashing?

Mojo, calling for more info isn't backing somebody due to a "brotherly bond." It is wanting more info. Unfortunately in here people assume it means something it isn't. I won't jump on the bandwagon because of an article that didn't have enough fact. I wanted to know if the engine/ac was on as that made a world of difference between equipment failure or negligence. Now that I have learned more I can say that this officer bad. He is a disgrace to k9 handlers across the nation. Had he followed simple procedure the k9 would be alive today. They did the right thing by kicking him out of the unit. I am not sure why they didn't prosecute him, but I don't know their state statute. I would have supported him being prosecuted if he met their statute. Other facts I would like to know would be how long he worked a dog. A new handler may not be used to leaving the motor running, which could make negligence harder to prove. We also don't know why he was in the station. Had he responded to another officer needed help with a drunk would be different then writing a report. I can say that a 3 month suspension is probably a greater fine then what the court would have imposed. That jurisdiction may not prosecute anybody for this type of crime. As I stated before, I have personally seen an officer I knew prosecuted for just this.

It is only human nature that one's perspective influences how one reacts to situations and articles such as the ones discussed in this thread. You being a LEO makes it natural to give your fellow officers the benefit of the doubt when reading articles in the media and hearing stories such as these. That is understandable. However, you cannot always expect the common citizen that has has a different perspective to always come to the same initial conclusion you do and give the police officer the benefit of the doubt. When the article reads as the ones regarding the subject of the original post in this thread, I am going to give the benefit of the doubt to the dog which died in the hot car and not to the police officer until I hear or learn some facts that counter what the article says.

[Excaliber]

In both cases there is no mention of the safety devices they make to prevent this. Sure they are expensive but well worth the $$$$$$$$$. In this latest story I doubt there was any safety device and when you go home you take care of your dog! For my dogs that meant feeding them as that was their time. I am interested in how long he worked that 24 hour period to include off duty employment. In the case I posted where the person I knew that was prosecuted in a case like this he had worked overtime in addition to the normal 10 hour day. I am not making an excuse, but at some point one needs off time to prevent tragedy's like this and to keep from making a bad decision. That should include policy with a restriction on total hours in a normal day - barring an emergency event.

The fatigue factor is an important one, particularly with someone who works overnight shifts. Working hour restrictions are a good idea for many reasons. I have lost brother officers who fell asleep on the way home and wrecked due to excessive hours put in while working overtime to support their families.

[Keith B]

In both cases there is no mention of the safety devices they make to prevent this. Sure they are expensive but well worth the $$$$$$$$$. In this latest story I doubt there was any safety device and when you go home you take care of your dog! For my dogs that meant feeding them as that was their time. I am interested in how long he worked that 24 hour period to include off duty employment. In the case I posted where the person I knew that was prosecuted in a case like this he had worked overtime in addition to the normal 10 hour day. I am not making an excuse, but at some point one needs off time to prevent tragedy's like this and to keep from making a bad decision. That should include policy with a restriction on total hours in a normal day - barring an emergency event.

The fatigue factor is an important one, particularly with someone who works overnight shifts. Working hour restrictions are a good idea for many reasons. I have lost brother officers who fell asleep on the way home and wrecked due to excessive hours put in while working overtime to support their families.

As a pilot fatigue is one of the major factors we look at in safety. There have been some extensive studies done on fatigue and how it affects decision making, reaction times and response to problems. It has been found that fatigue can impact a person very similarly to alcohol or other depressants. Pilots in the study had not had adequate sleep over a short time period actually reacted similarly to those that had a .04 - .08 BAC.

[G26ster]

As a pilot fatigue is one of the major factors we look at in safety. There have been some extensive studies done on fatigue and how it affects decision making, reaction times and response to problems. It has been found that fatigue can impact a person very similarly to alcohol or other depressants. Pilots in the study had not had adequate sleep over a short time period actually reacted similarly to those that had a .04 - .08 BAC.

Quite true Keith, and that's why there are flight and duty time limits in Part 121, 135, 125 for example. Just not in Part 91. For the years I flew under Part 135, single pilot flight time was 8 hrs max, and dual pilot time was 10 hrs max. Duty day for both was 14 hrs max, with 10 hrs uninterrupted rest prior to any further duty. Professional pilots and their companies can be severely disciplined and fined for exceeding those limits. Also, that is why there is an extra pilot on long overseas flights. I believe the trucking regs have similar restrictions to driving time.

Does professional law enforcement have any such limits? I would hope so, as there is just as much reason for a LEO to be as alert as a pilot.

[Keith B]

I believe the trucking regs have similar restrictions to driving time.

They do and they just tightened the hours allowed. The truck companies we use and I have talked to say it really hasn't impacted them much, but I am sure there some that it has.

[texanjoker]

Apparently these dogs heard a k9 died in a hot car and they wanted some payback ....(ignore the date)

[youtube][/youtube]

[Excaliber]

Apparently these dogs heard a k9 died in a hot car and they wanted some payback ....(ignore the date)

[youtube][/youtube]

I'd love to see the "Dear Chief" memo written to explain the damage to the patrol vehicle during this incident.

[texanjoker]

Apparently these dogs heard a k9 died in a hot car and they wanted some payback ....(ignore the date)

[youtube][/youtube]

I'd love to see the "Dear Chief" memo written to explain the damage to the patrol vehicle during this incident.

No kidding..this video is funnier then heck.... I guess he didn't want to hurt the dog since he could have just hit reverse...

[Excaliber]

Apparently these dogs heard a k9 died in a hot car and they wanted some payback ....(ignore the date)

[youtube][/youtube]

I'd love to see the "Dear Chief" memo written to explain the damage to the patrol vehicle during this incident.

No kidding..this video is funnier then heck.... I guess he didn't want to hurt the dog since he could have just hit reverse...

I only watched it once, but it sounded like when the other cars pulled up the officer with the damaged car was asking the others to make sure to get it on video. He was apparently anticipating a credibility problem if he didn't have video proof.

I don't blame him a bit.

[PBR]

Now its happened in Harris County, TX
http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas ... cmpid=hpts

"K-9 officers at the Harris County Sheriff's Office are mourning the loss of one of their own - a canine that died last week after being accidentally left inside a hot patrol car by its partner.

From all indications, the bomb-sniffing K-9 died from heat exhaustion, said Alan Bernstein, the sheriff's director of public affairs."

sad situation but also what is sad is nothing will happen to the officer -- if this was normal person we would be charge with animal neglect or cruelty -- but with him being an officer it wont happen -- its not right he isnt immune to right or wrong and thus should be treated just as a normal person would be -- im not saying he should be jailed or whatever but should be charged or treated the same as a non-policeman would be

[C-dub]

Now its happened in Harris County, TX
http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas ... cmpid=hpts

"K-9 officers at the Harris County Sheriff's Office are mourning the loss of one of their own - a canine that died last week after being accidentally left inside a hot patrol car by its partner.

From all indications, the bomb-sniffing K-9 died from heat exhaustion, said Alan Bernstein, the sheriff's director of public affairs."

sad situation but also what is sad is nothing will happen to the officer -- if this was normal person we would be charge with animal neglect or cruelty -- but with him being an officer it wont happen -- its not right he isnt immune to right or wrong and thus should be treated just as a normal person would be -- im not saying he should be jailed or whatever but should be charged or treated the same as a non-policeman would be

He may not be and I don't really think he should even receive as much punishment than what the other officer received because this second one did not intentionally leave the dog in the car. I don't believe the first one intended for his dog to die, but he did intentionally leave the dog in a car with the engine off.